WASHINGTON: Supreme Court Will Visit and Hear Cases at Whidbey Island May 10-11 (WASHINGTON STATE COURTS)

The Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts issued the following press release on May 4, 2023.

Washington Supreme Court justices will visit Whidbey Island for visits to local school districts then a community town hall May 10 at 2:30 p.m., and hearings for three court cases May 11 at 9 a.m. The town hall and the hearings will be held at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, (WICA) and will be open to the public and include time for questions from the audience.

The visit is part of a travelling court outreach program in which justices travel to two or three communities around Washington each year to hear real cases and talk with community members about the judicial branch. The justices most recently visited Seattle University in February this year and Gonzaga University in October 2022.

“The court is deeply appreciative of the opportunity to hear these cases in local communities across Washington. We know our opinions affect everyone and we welcome the chance to have the public see us do our work in person,” said Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven González. “We also appreciate the opportunity to talk with students, teachers and members of the public. We enjoy answering questions and helping increase understanding of how the court system works.”

On May 10, the justices will split up and visit the Oak Harbor, Coupeville and South Whidbey school districts where they will have lunch with students and teachers and hold open discussions surrounding the legal system.

Afterwards, at 2:30 p.m., they will proceed to WICA for a Town Hall event where the justices will answer questions and have a discussion with the local community. The event will begin with an informal meet and greet in the nearby Zech Hall and transition to the Mainstage for Audience conversation at 3:15 p.m., where there will be a short, moderated conversation between the justices before opening up to the audience for Q&A.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to offer this unique experience to our community, and we hope that it will leave a lasting impact on all those involved,” WICA Executive Artistic Director Deana Duncan said. “We believe that this visit will help to broaden our mission and expand our reach, and we are excited to welcome the Washington State Supreme Court to Whidbey Island Center for the Arts and Whidbey Island.”

On Thursday, May 11 at WICA, Chief Justice González and Justices Charles W. Johnson, Barbara A. Madsen, Susan Owens, Debra Stephens, Sheryl Gordon McCloud, Mary Yu and Raquel Montoya-Lewis, along with Justice Pro Tem Millie M. Judge of Snohomish County Superior Court, will hear oral arguments in the following cases:

• 9 a.m. Case No. 101375-2, Snaza v. State: Whether RCW 10.116.030, which prohibits county law enforcement agencies from using tear gas in most riot situations without first receiving prior approval from the county’s highest elected official, violates article XI, section 5 of the Washington Constitution by delegating a core function of county sheriffs to other elected or appointed county officials.
• 10 a.m. No. 101176-8, Eylander v. Prologis: Whether in this wrongful death action involving an employee of an independent contractor who fell through a skylight while performing work on a landowner’s premises, the landowner’s common law duty toward invitees to guard against known or obvious dangers on the premises is satisfied by exercising reasonable care in delegating that duty to the independent contractor.
• 10:45 a.m. Q&A with the audience.
• 1:30 p.m. No. 100999-2, Portugal v. Franklin County: Whether the Washington Voting Rights Act (WVRA) violates the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the privileges and immunities clause of the Washington Constitution cause it does not contain a compactness requirement, and therefore makes race a predominant factor, and because it confers a privilege upon a specific class without reasonable grounds. Whether the WVRA, which grants minority voters the right to compel redistricting to remedy vote dilution, was repealed by implication upon the reenactment of RCW 29A.76.010, which prohibits the use of population data for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring any racial group or political party.
• 2:15 p.m. Q&A with the audience.

All Washington Supreme Court oral arguments are open to the public, and are livestreamed and recorded by Washington’s Public Affairs network, TVW. Though cameras and video recorders are generally allowed, the Court asks that no flash, other lights or noisy mechanisms be used during the hearings.

For more information on members and the operations of the state Supreme Court and other Washington courts, visit https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts.

[Ed. Note: While the state supreme court is outside our normal scope of coverage, this visit to Whidbey Island is a rare opportunity for citizens to see and interact with the justices. Thanks to subscriber Jim Adsley for bringing this event to our attention.]