White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-07-15
THE SUPREME COURT OF
STATE OF WASHINGTON

STATE Ut WASHINGTON
By ]. B. Bridges, Associate Judge
! of the Supreme Court of
T. Washington
(Since writing this article Judg,
Bridges has died.)
have been asked to write this pa
per, and being satisfied that many peo
ple of the State, outside of the lega
profession, have but little accurate ir,
! formation concerning the jurisdiction
of the supreme court, the way in which
it transacts its business or the amount
thereof, / have consented so to do. Tc
many the court is something far away
This is not so because the members OF
the court so wish it. 1t is because the
nature of it's work tends to make it so.
The court comes into contact witt,
only the lawyers of the state. 1t cannot
advise with others as the executive.
and legislative branches may. But to
overcome, in part this innate isola-
ton, the members of the court are
desirous that the people visit the Tenn
pie of Justice, attend the session of the
court and as far as convenient person.
ally meet the judges.
If this article should have the effect
of bringing the people and the court a
little closer together, I shall feel we'll
repaid for writingiit. 1t is my purpose
to give a bird's-eye view of the court
rather than detailed statement con-
cerning it, and in so doing avoid tech
nical language as much as possible.
AS is fairly well. known, there are
nine members of the court-a chief
justice and eight associate members.
The chief justice is selected by the
other members and serves as such for
two years. In a general way his pow
ers and duties are the same as the 9TH
er members, except he presides when
the court is in session. Theoretically
speaking, all the members of
the court are elected by the
people for az six-year term.
The governor has power, by appoint
ment, to fill any Vacancy caused by
death or resignation, such appointment
to last until the next general election,
at which time successor to the per-
son resigning or dying is elected. Six
of the nine judges who are now on the
bench first came to it by appointment
and we're afterwards elected by the
people.
All the business of the court is
transacted at the Temple of Justice in
Olympia. In this building the court
sits for the hearing of all cases,
and there the various members have
their chambers. There, also, is the
law library, which is one Of the
most complete in the United States.
There are at present in the library
about $4,000 volumes OF reported
opinions of the various courts and
text books. These grow at the
rate of about $50 volumes each
year.
), In but few states is tine character
of the law business handled by the
courts so varied as here. Our court
must decide cases involving the law
with reference to farming and min
ing, drainage and irrigation, naviga-
ton and navigatable waters, the lum-
Der and fruit industries, and the
general business handled by all
courts.
Probably ninety per cent of the
cases presented to this court reach
it by the process of appeal; that is,
cases which have been first tried in
the various superior courts of the
etate and then brought to the su-
preme court for review. The court,
however, has original jurisdiction to
issue certain writs, such as the writ
OF habeas corpus and of mandanus.
Cases based upon writs so issued are
heard for the first time in the. su-
preme court, but such cases amount
tc less than ten per cent of all the
business transacted by the court. 1t
will thus be seen that the supreme
court is almost exclusively one of
appeals; that is, court which re-
views cases which have been previous
ly tried in the superior court of the
state.
In cases where there is nothing
involved but money, the losing party
can appeal only in the event the
amount is over 5000. In all other
cases the loosing party may appeal
without regard to the amount invoIv-
ed. The result is that in probably
ninety per cent of the cases tried in
the superior ccurc the loosing party
has a right of appeal to the supreme
court. The party desiring to appeal
nusS give his notice thereof within
ninety days from the time the judg-
nent is rendered. Meanwhile he has
prepared and filed his statement of
Facts, which is transaction of every-
hing that occurred at the trial. The
record is then sent to the clerk of
The supreme court. The parties to the
appeal present their cese to that
court in the. first instance by means
It printed briefs. in these briefs each
party, through his attorney, will state
his view Of the evidence and his con-
tention concerning the points of law
involved. AS rule, case may be
heard by the supreme court in from
.hree to four months after Judgment
has been entered in the trial court.
The Court has three terms each
year, known as the fall, winter and
spring terms. The fall term COM
nences shortly after the first of
October and ends usually about
he Goth OF December; the winter
::erm commences about the 10th of /
January and usually ends between
he first and the 18th of March.
md the spring term commences
lbout the 10th of May and ends