Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

Chief Justice Steven C. González to Present the State of Washington’s Judicial Branch, Live January 11

Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven C. González will present the 2023 State of the Judiciary address before a joint session of the Washington State Legislature on Wednesday, January 11th at 11 a.m. in the Washington State Senate Chambers.

The address will be televised live by TVW, Washington’s Public Affairs Network. A written report will be released to the public immediately following the address.

The presentation will be the first in-person State of the Judiciary address to lawmakers since January 2019, when it was given by then-Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst.

The State of the Judiciary address is meant to provide lawmakers with an overview of the status, progress, key initiatives and significant challenges of Washington’s judicial branch. As members of co-equal branches of government, lawmakers work together with judicial leaders — through legislation and funding — to maintain the fairness and effectiveness of the state judicial system.

González was elected to be the state’s 58th Chief Justice by fellow justices in late 2020, beginning a four-year term in January 2021. As Chief Justice, he is the court's primary spokesperson, presides over Supreme Court hearings and conferences, and co-chairs the state Board for Judicial Administration. González was appointed to the Supreme Court effective January 1, 2012, and was elected to six-year terms in 2013 and 2019. Before joining the Court, he served as a King County Superior Court trial judge for 10 years hearing criminal, civil, juvenile and family law cases. Prior to his election to the superior court, González was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Washington and a domestic violence prosecutor for the city of Seattle.

Previous State of the Judiciary written reports can be found on the Washington Courts website, along with additional information about the state’s Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and trial courts.