Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

Public welcome as Court of Appeals, Div. III hears cases at High School in Spokane March 7

The Washington State Court of Appeals, Division III, will hear oral arguments outside of its regular Spokane courtroom during a community visit to North Central High School on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. The public is welcome to attend the oral arguments and at the end of the session, ask questions about the role and operations of the Court of Appeals.

The hearings will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the school theater located at 1600 N. Howard St. Spokane, WA. They will be livestreamed and recorded by TVW. 

“We’re happy to have returned to occasional community based oral argument hearings after suspending them in April 2020,” said Division III Chief Judge Laurel H. Siddoway. “It is a great way for students to learn more about their state courts and to witness the lawyers’ advocacy. The North Central High School staff has been very welcoming and we look forward to interacting with their students.” 

Presiding Chief Judge George Fearing, Chief Judge Laurel Siddoway and Judge Tracy Staab will hear arguments in the following three cases:

• 8:30 a.m. -- Mark Hoffman v. Providence Health & Services, 388336: Did the superior court err when it dismissed Dr. Mark Hoffman’s lawsuit seeking damages for wrongful employment termination?


• 9 a.m. -- Robert Sydow v. Douglass Properties, LLC, 388883: In this property line dispute, did the superior court err when it denied the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the defendants from developing the property while the lawsuit was pending?  


• 10 a.m. -- State of Washington v. Evaristo Junior Salas, 385701: Did the superior court err when it denied Mr. Salas’s motion for a new trial based of newly discovered evidence?  

Web access to public documents on the above cases can be accessed through the Appellate Court Public Document Portal. Each argument will last approximately 30 minutes and there will be a 30-minute break between the second and third 3rd case. 

The Court of Appeals occasionally hears oral arguments in eastern Washington cities outside of its Spokane Headquarters. This will be the court’s second community-based set of oral arguments since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2022, the court visited Yakima, where they heard oral arguments at the Eisenhower High School. 

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. 

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

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