Supreme Court visits Skagit Valley College

photo of The Washingtn State Supreme Court

Members of the Washington State Supreme Court
(Back row, L-R): Justice James M. Johnson, Justice Susan Owens, Justice Mary E. Fairhurst,
and Justice Debra L. Stephens. (Front row, L-R): Justice Richard B. Sanders, Associate Chief Justice Charles W. Johnson, Chief Justice Barbara Madsen, Justice Gerry L. Alexander, and Justice Tom Chambers.

Photo courtesy of the Washington Supreme Court.

The Washington Supreme Court's nine justices will visit Skagit Valley College where they will speak to classes regarding the state and federal constitutions, legal careers, and hear arguments on three real cases in a community visit to Skagit Valley College's Mount Vernon Campus on February 22-23, 2010.  The court sessions will be at McIntyre Hall Performing Arts & Conference Center and are open to the public.

 

The state's highest court is located in Olympia in the Temple of Justice on the state capitol grounds.  For more than a decade, 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. 

 
On Monday, February 22, the court will answer questions at Open Forums on campus.  Free & open to the public
1:30-2:45 Gary Knutzen Cardinal Center, Multipurpose Room
Wide range of issues will be discussed
2:00-3:30 The following open forums will be held:
Lewis Hall 65 - Immigration, Civil Rights
Angst Hall 129 - Search & Seizure
Angst Hall 125 - Medical malpractice, nurse liability
Roberts Hall T-39 - Access to Justice, proposed Legal Technician Rule
 
On Tuesday, February 23, beginning at 9 a.m., Chief Justice Barbara A. Madsen and Associate Justices Charles W. Johnson, Gerry Alexander, Richard B. Sanders, Tom Chambers, Susan J. Owens, Mary Fairhurst, Jim Johnson and Debra Stephens will hear the following Cases at McIntyre Hall: (free and open to the public)

 

No. 82210-7 State of Washington v. Adams:  Whether police lawfully searched a car incident to the driver's arrest when the arrest took place after the driver got out of the car and locked it.

No. 82225-5 City of Port Angeles v. Our Water-Our Choice: Whether proposed local initiatives seeking to prohibit the city of Port Angeles from adding fluoride to its public water system are within the local initiative power.

No. 81921-1, 81940-8 State of Washington v. Bunker; State v. Williams; State v. Vincent:  Whether under former RCW 26.50.110 (2006), violation of a domestic violence no-contact order constituted a criminal offense only if the violation was one for which arrest was required under RCW 10.31.100(a) or (b).

What does the Supreme Court do? As an appellate court, the Supreme Court hears only appeals from decisions made by lower courts in our state system. It does not conduct trials, so there are no witnesses, evidence or juries. The party appealing the lower court decision must present arguments that the lower court made a legal mistake that caused an incorrect result. That party then asks the Court to "reverse" the decision of the lower court. The party that won the case in the lower court will argue that no mistakes were made and the Supreme Court should "affirm" the lower court's decision. Both parties are typically represented by lawyers who have submit written arguments to the Court, and then appear in front of the justices to make oral arguments. After oral argument, it may take the Court months to render a decision in non-emergency cases.

 

For more information regarding the Court, visit the Washington Courts web site at www.courts.wa.gov.