The Washington appellate shield

The appeal of right

Thirty days from entry of the decision (with the rule's longer-of alternatives for timely post-trial motions) — computed on RAP 18.6's day-one-excluded, last-day-rolls arithmetic. Compute yours with the trace on the deadline board.

RAP 5.2(a); RAP 18.6

Discretionary review

Acts not appealable as a matter of right may reach the Court of Appeals by discretionary review — on the rule's own considerations (obvious error, probable error altering the case, departures from the accepted course). The showing is the whole game.

RAP 2.3

The RALJ lane

Appeals FROM courts of limited jurisdiction run on their own 30-day clock and their own rulebook — a district-court case does not use the RAP.

RALJ 2.5(a)

The stay is not automatic

An unsuperseded judgment is enforceable during appeal. RAP 8.1 supplies the supersedeas machinery in addition to CR 62's trial-court stays — money judgments by amount, property decisions by bond or alternate security.

RAP 8.1; CR 62

Unpublished opinions

Court of Appeals unpublished opinions have NO precedential value and bind no court — Cite Check flags every unpublished cite for the signer's judgment.

GR 14.1

The trial de novo is not an appeal

After mandatory arbitration, the exit is a trial de novo request within 20 days of the arbitrator's proof-of-service of the later of the award or a fee decision — with fee-shift stakes for failing to improve position. A different machine entirely.

SCCAR 7.1