Local News

Supreme Court to Hold Community Visit with Colville Confederated Tribes

May 01, 2018

The Washington Supreme Court’s nine justices will hold a community forum with the Colville Confederated Tribes in a historic visit between Washington’s top state courts and tribal judicial system on May 7-8, 2018.

During the visit to Nespelem, the justices will visit with reservation high school students and hold a public forum on Monday from 1 – 3 p.m. at the Lucy F. Covington Government Center.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on three real cases all of which are open to the public.

“This is an important event for the Colville Tribe,” said Chairman Michael Marchand. “This is a rare opportunity to see Washington’s Supreme Court in action, right here in our tribal community and I encourage everyone to attend our public forum and oral arguments the next day.”

The three oral argument hearings will be held at the Covington Government Center Auditorium, located at 21 Colville Street in Nespelem.

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 8th, Chief Justice Mary E. Fairhurst and Associate Justices Charles W. Johnson, Barbara A. Madsen, Susan J. Owens, Debra L. Stephens, Charles K. Wiggins, Steven C. González, Sheryl McCloud and Mary I. Yu will hear the following cases:

Case # 95024-5 - Christal Fields v. State of Washington Department of Early Learning: Whether the Department of Early Learning’s administrative rule effectively creating a lifetime ban on childcare licensing for applicants who have committed specified criminal offenses violates constitutional due process principles.
Case # 4853-4 - State of Washington v. Tyree William Jefferson: Whether in this criminal prosecution the trial court properly denied a motion for mistrial that was based on a juror’s relation during deliberations that she had observed a member of the gallery holding a pad and watching the jurors getting into their cars during a recess.

The court will reconvene at 1:30 p.m. to hear the last case of the day:

Case # 93995-1 - State of Washington v. Christopher John Blair: Whether snowmobiles are not “motor vehicles” for purposes of the theft of a motor vehicle statute, RCW 9A.56.065, and if so, whether in this criminal prosecution the defendant’s prior convictions for theft of a motor vehicle based on thefts of snowmobiles should have been excluded from the defendant’s offender score.

“We invite and encourage anyone interested in learning more about the judicial branch of government to see the workings of the highest court up close and personal,” said Chief Justice Mary E. Fairhurst.

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. This is believed to be the first visit combined with a trial court.

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.

Oral arguments will be available to stream live at www.tvw.org, Washington's Public Affairs network, and taped for broadcast at a later date.

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