Washington Courts: News and Information

State Supreme Court Hears Arguments at Gonzaga Law School Oct. 2

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY, Spokane, Washington – The nine justices of the Washington State Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in three cases on Thursday, Oct. 2 in the Gonzaga University School of Law Barbieri Courtroom. The hearings, which are open to the public, will begin at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Three justices are Gonzaga Law alumni: Chief Justice Barbara A. Madsen (’77), Justice Mary E. Fairhurst (’79), and Justice Debra L. Stephens (’93). Justice Steven C. González received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Gonzaga Law in 2011.

The three cases in which oral arguments will be presented are:

• The State of Washington v. Ronald Wayne MacDonald, involving issues of plea negotiations.
• Theresa Scanlan v. Karlin Townsend and “John Doe” Townsend,  which addresses a question of the service of legal paperwork.
• The State of Washington v. Jason Allen Graham,  which addresses multiple offense sentencing policies.

The justices will hold question-and-answer sessions in the courtroom after both the second and the third cases.

This is the fourth time in three years that Gonzaga Law has hosted appeals court hearings. In 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces heard arguments in one case and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in three cases. In 2013, the Colville Tribal Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in one case.

For more information or to arrange media availability for the justices, please contact Andrea Parrish at Gonzaga University School of Law at (509) 313-3771 or via e-mail.