Court Opinion

ID: 9549739
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 18:24:16.693077+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:20:51.966546
License: Public Domain

Hunter, J.
(dissenting)—I dissent.
The relator’s office was vacated by the trial court prior to the review by this court of the relator’s appeal of his conviction. Therefore, he was denied his right of appeal guaranteed by Art. I, § 22, of the state constitution. Judge Foster’s reasoning in his concurring opinion in this respect is sound. I disagree with Judge Foster only in his conclusion that this court, by stare decisis, is controlled by our holdings in the cases of State ex rel. Guthrie v. Chapman, 187 Wash. 327, 60 P. (2d) 245, 106 A. L. R. 640, and State ex rel. Knabb v. Frater, 198 Wash. 675, 89 P. (2d) 1046. In these cases, as stated by Judge Foster, this court did not consider any conflict between the statutes (RCW 42.12.010 and RCW 9.92.120) and the constitutional guarantee of a *436right of appeal. Under these circumstances, this court should not hesitate to overrule prior cases.
The judgment vacating the relator’s office prior to disposition of the appeal of his conviction should be reversed.
Ott, J., concurs with Hunter, J.