Miscellaneous

Washington State Supreme Court Hits the Road

By Anne Skove, Esq.

We hear so much about educating the public about what courts do. But how? There's no better way than to bring the courts to the people.

The Washington Supreme Court does this three times a year. Cases will be heard September 24-25 at Washington State University. Following is a press release from the Washington Courts:

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Washington Courts: Press Release Detail
State Supreme Court to Hear Oral Argument on Three Cases at Washington State University Next Week
September 16, 2008


The Washington Supreme Court’s nine justices will lunch with students, speak to classes regarding the constitution, legal careers and hear arguments on real cases in a community visit to Washington State University September 24 – 25.

The state’s highest court is located in Olympia in the Temple of Justice on the state capitol grounds. Since 1985, the Court has heard cases "on the road" three times a year in an outreach effort allowing citizens to see the court in action in their local communities.

"The Court enjoys visiting our state’s great universities," says Chief Justice Gerry Alexander. "In addition to WSU students, we encourage anyone interested in learning more about the judicial branch of government to see the workings of the highest court up close and personal."

All Washington Supreme Court oral arguments are open to the public, and are broadcasted at a later date via Washington’s Public Affairs network, TVW.

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Sept. 25th, Chief Justice Gerry Alexander and Justices Charles W. Johnson, Barbara A. Madsen, Richard B. Sanders, Tom Chambers, Susan Owens, Mary Fairhurst, James M. Johnson and Debra Stephens will hear the following arguments on the following cases in the CUB Ballroom:

• Case No. 81071-1, State (respondent) v. Kramer (petitioner): Whether the trial court properly refused to vacate a forfeiture of bail when the bail bond company advised the defendant to turn himself in but did not alert authorities to the defendant’s whereabouts, and the defendant was arrested seven days after his failure to appear.


• No. 80626-8, Otis Housing Ass’n, Inc. (petitioner) v. Ha (respondents): Whether an arbitration clause in a lease option contract lapsed when the underlying option to buy lapsed.


• Case No. 81110-5, In re Pers. Restraint of Tobin, Douglas Tobin (petitioner) v. State (respondent): Whether the trial court erred in including 35 unranked fish and wildlife violations in the defendant’s offender score for sentencing purposes.

Immediately following arguments in the two cases, the justices will answer questions from the audience, then recess to conference on the cases until 12:30 p.m. Justices will then have lunch with students of the WSU Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service, and reconvene at 1:30 p.m. to hear the last case of the day, In re: Pers. Restraint of Tobin.

Though cameras and video recorders are generally allowed, the Court asks that no flash, other lights or noisy film advance mechanisms be used during the hearings. Only one television camera will be allowed to film the oral arguments; other TV stations are asked to pool coverage.

Written opinions are rendered approximately three to six months after oral arguments. For further information regarding the Court, visit the Washington Courts web site at www.courts.wa.gov.

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Washington Courts Media Contact
Wendy K. Ferrell
Communications Manager
(360) 705-5331
e-mail Wendy.Ferrell@courts.wa.gov

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on September 19, 2008 (boomark / email).