Washington Courts: News and Information

Public welcome as Court of Appeals, Div. III hears cases at Clarkston High School April 25

The Washington State Court of Appeals, Division III, will hear oral arguments outside of its regular Spokane courtroom during a community visit to Clarkston High School on Thursday, April 25. The public is welcome to attend the oral arguments and ask questions about the role and operations of the Court of Appeals during the Q&A break and at the end of the session.

The hearings will begin at 9 a.m. in the school auditorium located at 401 Chestnut Street, Clarkston, WA.

“We appreciate Clarkston hosting our court at the high school and allowing us to engage with the students and faculty.  The law impacts every aspect of our lives,” Division III Acting Chief Judge Tracy Staab said. “We hope to demystify the legal system and provide opportunities for students to apply their skills in English, civics, debate, and history to real-life situations. It is essential for the community to see the Constitution at work.”

Beginning at 9 a.m., Acting Chief Judge Tracy Staab, Judge George Fearing, and Judge John Cooney will hear arguments in the following case:

395103 - David Lyons, et al v. Daniel Clark, et al – 9 a.m., In this lawsuit concerning access to an historic cemetery, did the appellants have standing to maintain their counterclaims against the owner of the land surrounding the cemetery?

394115 - State of Washington v. Amber Dawn Kelly – 9:30 a.m., Did the parents of a deceased witness have legal authority to consent to a search of the decedent’s cell phone?

398145 - Teamsters Local 839 v. Franklin County, et al – 10:30 a.m., Did the superior court err when it confirmed an arbitration award in a labor dispute over a collective bargaining agreement?

394603 - In the Matter of the Estate of Carol A. Dahlstrom – 11 a.m., Is an unsigned copy of a will and a declaration from an attorney claiming to have witnessed the original will’s signature by the decedent and two witnesses sufficient to substitute for a lost will?

The Court of Appeals, Division III is headquartered in Spokane, WA and hears appeals of case outcomes from trial courts throughout the Eastern Washington counties of Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima.

Web access to public documents for Criminal and Civil cases can be found at Washington State Courts - Appellate and Trial Courts. Each argument will last approximately 30 minutes.  To allow for questions and answers, we will have a 30-minute break between the 2^nd and 3^rd case and after the last case.

The Court of Appeals occasionally hears oral arguments in various eastern Washington cities outside of its Spokane Headquarters. We resumed community-based oral arguments in October 2022.  We have since visited and heard oral arguments in six high schools throughout eastern Washington.  In September 2023, our court was the recipient of the Nevin Award for promoting community outreach and civic education based on outreach to area high schools.

Further information regarding the Court, visit the Washington Courts website at Washington State Courts - Appellate and Trial Courts.

Contact:  Court of Appeals, Div. III Clerk Tristen Worthen, (509) 456-3082, Tristen.worthen@courts.wa.gov.