Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

Washington Court of Appeals Division III to Hear Cases With Three Women Judges for First Time

The Washington State Court of Appeals, Division III, will hear oral arguments in two appeals cases on Thursday, April 29 on the Zoom remote platform open to the public. The panel will include all women judges for the first time in Spokane-based Division III since the Court of Appeals was established in 1969.

The oral arguments in the two cases will begin at 9 a.m. and can be viewed live on TVW.

The panel of judges will consist of Chief Judge Rebecca Pennell, who joined the court in 2016; Acting Chief Judge Laurel Siddoway, who joined the court in 2010; and Judge Tracy Staab, who was sworn in to office in January 2021 after being elected in November 2020.  

“This moment in our court’s history is long over-due. I am proud to be a part of Division III and to be in the company of such fine jurists. I look forward to this week’s arguments,” said Chief Judge Rebecca L. Pennell.

Oral arguments run about 30 minutes for each case. The panel will hear oral arguments in the following cases:

• 9:00 a.m. — State of Washington v. Anthony Laurence Wright, 374459, (appeal from Spokane County Superior Court), which can be viewed on TVW at this link: https://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2021041299 
• 9:30 a.m. — State of Washington v. Pavel Kanyushkin, 374467, (appeal from Spokane County Superior Court), which can be viewed at this link: https://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2021041300 

The Court of Appeals Division III is headquartered in Spokane and hears appeals from trial courts throughout the Eastern Washington counties of Ferry, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Adams, Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Walla Walla, Whitman, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat and Yakima. For more information regarding the Court and its judges, visit the Washington Courts Web site at http://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts.

Other remote hearings by Washington courts can be located and viewed by visiting the Virtual Court Directory at https://www.courts.wa.gov/newsinfo/index.cfm?fa=newsinfo.virtualcourtproceedings.

CONTACT: Court of Appeals Div. III Clerk Renee Townsley, (509) 456-3082, Renee.Townsley@courts.wa.gov.