Before you start
This guide walks through the order of tasks that tends to save people in Spokane the most backtracking. Some steps take five minutes; others mean waiting on a call back. Work through them in sequence, and keep one folder, paper or digital, for everything you collect along the way.
Step 1: Read the top of your paperwork
Pull out the citation, charging document, judgment or order and look at the court name printed at the top. In Spokane it will usually be one of three:
- Spokane Municipal Court, for misdemeanors and code violations inside city limits. The city's page lists its clerk's office at 1100 W Mallon Ave.
- Spokane County District Court, which the state directory places in the Public Safety Building at that same Mallon address, with misdemeanor clerks on the first floor.
- Spokane County Superior Court, at 1116 W Broadway Ave, with the County Clerk in Room 300.
Write down the court, the case number and the name of the judge or commissioner. You will repeat these more than once.
Step 2: Find out who will review your completion
If you are under state community supervision, that may be a community corrections officer with the Washington State Department of Corrections. The department's field office list shows a Spokane Administrative Office at 1717 W. Broadway Ave. and a Spokane Valley office on East Desmet Avenue, along with neighborhood reporting sites. Ask your officer which site handles your file.
In a misdemeanor case, the person reviewing your progress may be a court staff member, a probation officer attached to that court, or your own defense attorney. Call the clerk's office if you are not sure.
Step 3: Ask four specific questions
Get clear answers to these before you enroll anywhere:
1. How many hours or sessions does the order call for? 2. Is there a deadline, and is it tied to a review hearing? 3. Is an online or remote class acceptable for this case? 4. What proof do they want, and should it come from you or straight from the provider?
Only the court or your officer decides whether a program fits your order. Write their answers down with the date and the name of the person who gave them.
Step 4: Check whether a specialty docket applies
Spokane Municipal Court runs several therapeutic courts, among them a Domestic Violence Intervention Court and a Veterans' court. If your case was placed on one of these, its team may already have specific expectations for classes or counseling. Ask before you shop, so you do not pay for something that does not line up with their plan.
Also keep in mind that Municipal Court does not handle protection or restraining orders. If one applies to you, its terms come from another court and you should read them separately.
Step 5: Build a short list
Use the directory to find two or three independent providers whose format suits you. For each one, ask:
- Is the class a group, one-on-one, or online?
- How long is each session, and how many weeks does the full course run?
- What does the completion letter say, and how soon after the last session is it issued?
- Can they send attendance updates to your officer or attorney with your written permission?
- What happens if you miss a session because of work or illness?
The directory does not screen providers or confirm their background, so treat these answers as your own research.
Step 6: Plan the logistics
Downtown Spokane puts the courts and the main corrections office within a few blocks of each other, which is handy if you have several errands on the same day. If you live in Spokane Valley, Airway Heights or north of Francis, a provider near home may make weekly attendance far easier to keep up. For evening classes in winter, factor in snow and darker commutes.
Step 7: Enroll, then report back
Once you choose a provider, tell your officer or attorney which one and when you start. Save the enrollment confirmation in your folder.
Step 8: Keep a running record
After each session, note the date and topic. Keep receipts. If you fall behind, contact your officer or attorney right away rather than waiting for the next hearing.
Step 9: Close the loop
When you finish, get the completion letter, make a copy, and deliver it the way you were told in Step 3. Then confirm it was received and filed with your case. That last phone call is easy to skip and often the one that matters most.