Two federal districts cover the state of Washington
Washington has two federal trial courts, and which one hears a case depends on the county where it arose. This page orients you to both. It is part of our wider guide to federal courts, and it covers the Eastern District in detail and the Western District in brief.
The statute that creates them, 28 U.S.C. § 128, opens this way: "Washington is divided into two judicial districts to be known as the Eastern and Western Districts of Washington." Federal criminal cases are heard in the federal district courts. Under 18 U.S.C. § 3231 they have "original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States." So a drug, fraud, firearms or sex offense charged under federal law starts in one of these two courts, not in a state superior court.
The county decides the district
The statute fixes the split by county. For the east, it says: "The Eastern District comprises the counties of Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima." That is 20 counties. For the west, it says: "The Western District comprises the counties of Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, and Whatcom." That is 19 counties.
If you know the county where the alleged conduct took place, you can usually tell the district. The charging document, summons or release order also names the district on its first page. The court named there is the one you answer to.
Eastern District of Washington
The statute says: "Court for the Eastern District shall be held at Spokane, Yakima, Walla Walla, and Richland." The prosecutor's office describes the district as "comprised of twenty Washington counties east of the crest of the Cascade Mountains." It also says the district includes about two-thirds of the state's land area, 41,826 square miles, and is home to 1,667,593 people by the 2020 census.
Finding your courthouse
The court's own locations are Richland, Spokane and Yakima. The statute also lists Walla Walla as a place of court, but the court's locations page does not list a Walla Walla courthouse. The court does not publish a rule matching each county to Spokane, Yakima or Richland. Do not assume your courthouse from a map. The papers in your case name the courthouse, and a call to the clerk's office will settle any doubt.
- Spokane: United States Courthouse, 920 West Riverside Ave, Room 840, Spokane, WA 99201. Telephone (509) 458-3400. Mailing address: P.O. Box 1493, Spokane, WA 99210-1493.
- Yakima: William O. Douglas United States Courthouse, 25 South 3rd St, Room 201, Yakima, WA 98901. Telephone (509) 573-6600. Mailing address: PO Box 2706, Yakima, WA 98907.
- Richland: Richland U.S. Courthouse & Federal Building, 825 Jadwin Avenue, Room 174, Richland, WA 99352. Telephone (509) 943-8170.
The clerk's office at each location is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. The court's general email is contactus@waed.uscourts.gov.
Who prosecutes in the Eastern District
Cases here are brought by the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington. It says it "has its headquarters in Spokane, two full-time branch offices located in Yakima, and in Richland." The main office is at 920 W Riverside Ave, Suite 340, Spokane, WA 99201, telephone (509) 353-2767. The Yakima branch is at 402 E Yakima Ave, Suite 210, Yakima, WA 98901, telephone (509) 454-4425. The Richland branch is at 825 Jadwin Ave, Suite G-60, Richland, WA 99352, telephone (509)-713-8450. The office says correspondence to the United States Attorney goes to the Spokane main office.
The office has a Criminal Division and a Civil Division, and it lists programs including Project Safe Childhood, Project Safe Neighborhoods and Victim Witness Assistance. It has also posted a position for a Special Tribal Prosecutor. The lawyer on the other side of your case will be an Assistant United States Attorney, working with the federal agents who built the case. If you think you are being looked at but have not been charged, read about target letters and the grand jury.
Western District of Washington
The statute says: "Court for the Western District shall be held at Bellingham, Seattle, Tacoma, Mount Vernon, and Vancouver." The Mount Vernon location was added by a 2024 act of Congress, so older copies of the statute list only four cities.
Within the Western District, the court's local criminal rule assigns counties to Seattle or Tacoma. Seattle takes Island, King, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties. Tacoma takes Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston and Wahkiakum counties. Courthouse addresses, the prosecutor, the Federal Public Defender, pretrial services and local rules are all on our Western District of Washington page.
The first days of a federal case
Whatever the district, the opening steps look much the same. After an arrest, you are brought before a judge for an initial appearance, where you learn the charges and your rights, and where the question of a lawyer is raised. The government may ask to hold you. The release question is decided at a detention hearing under 18 U.S.C. § 3142, and a judge orders detention before trial only if the judge finds that "no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the appearance of the person as required and the safety of any other person and the community". Our page on federal detention hearings explains how those hearings work.
Felony charges generally come by indictment from a grand jury. After indictment comes an arraignment, where you hear the charges again and enter a plea. The broader path is laid out in our federal criminal process guide. Do not talk with agents about the case, or agree to a proffer session, until a lawyer has reviewed your exposure.
Appointed counsel and local rules
If you cannot afford a lawyer, the court can appoint one. Our checked facts for the Eastern District do not cover its Federal Public Defender office or its panel of appointed lawyers, so ask the judge at your first appearance how appointment works in your district. The Western District has its own Federal Public Defender, covered on its page.
Each district also has local criminal rules that change what a defendant must do, such as how motions are filed and how deadlines run. The Eastern District lists "Local Criminal Rules" under its Rules and Policies menu. Read the current local rules for your district, and the orders of the judge assigned to your case, soon after arraignment.
Appeals go to the Ninth Circuit
Both Washington districts are in the Ninth Circuit, which also covers Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Guam and Hawaii. The statute sends appeals "From a district court of the United States to the court of appeals for the circuit embracing the district;". The time limit is short. Under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(b)(1)(A), "In a criminal case, a defendant's notice of appeal must be filed in the district court within 14 days after the later of:" the entry of the judgment or the order being appealed, or the filing of the government's notice of appeal. Our federal appeals page explains the process. Because the clock runs fast, appeal planning starts before sentencing.
A note on penalties
Penalty numbers on this site are statutory maximums or guideline ranges. They are not predictions. Drug quantity, loss amount, criminal history and the judge's view of the conduct all affect what actually happens in a case.
Talking to a lawyer about a case in Washington federal court
The most useful thing you can do first is work out which district your case is in, and then bring the paperwork. Gather the following before a first conversation:
- Any charging document, complaint, summons, indictment, target letter or subpoena, with the court name and case number.
- Release orders and any conditions the court set.
- Notes on the county where events happened, and the date and place of any arrest or search.
- Names of any agents who contacted you, and what was said or taken.
- Proof of your home, job, family and community ties, which matter at a detention hearing.
- A list of upcoming court dates, and the courthouse named on each notice.
Write down what you remember while it is fresh, and keep it for your lawyer only. Do not discuss the case on the phone, in text messages or on social media. If you are in custody, ask a family member to collect these papers for you. When you are ready to talk through your situation, request a consultation.
Federal representation outside California is subject to applicable court admission requirements. Pro hac vice admission and association with local counsel may be required.