Welcome to the BETA release of the new Temple of Justice Project, a joint effort of The Oyez Project and the Thomas S. Foley Institute at Washington State University to provide highlights of the history and work of the Washington State Supreme Court.
This website is still under major construction, with work being supported through a generous grant from the George and Joan Berry Family Excellence Fund. The estimated launch date for the complete website is summer 2010. In the meantime, feel free to explore, send us feedback, and learn more About the Project.
Temple of Justice, 1912-1920
Synopsis: Whether in a personal injury action against a landowner for injuries sustained in falling through a wooden dock, the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur applied to prove both that the dock was dangerously defective and that the landowners knew or should have known of the defect.
Synopsis: Whether the prosecutor in a criminal trial improperly vouched for a witness’s credibility when on direct examination the prosecutor elicited the fact that the witness had promised to testify truthfully as part of a plea agreement.
Synopsis: Whether, in a dispute over attorney fees owed by a former client, the trial court erroneously awarded the former attorney prejudgment interest even though the former client had deposited the amount of claimed fees in the trial court registry, and whether on appeal the Court of Appeals erroneously altered the settlement amount on which the former attorney’s contingency fee was based.
Synopsis: Whether confinement on a misdemeanor probation violation interrupts the five-year “wash-out” period on a prior class C felony conviction.
Synopsis: Whether a child can be a “dependent person” within the meaning of the first degree criminal mistreatment statute, RCW 9A.42.020, and if so, whether the child in this case had a “physical disability,” and thus was a “dependent person,” because he was in a weakened state allegedly caused by the defendant’s neglect.
Synopsis: Whether a discovery order under CrR 4.7(b)(2)(vi) requiring a criminal defendant to supply a DNA sample had to meet constitutional requirements for the issuance of a warrant, and if so, whether those requirements were not met because the trial court failed to expressly find probable cause.
Synopsis: Whether in a medical malpractice action defense counsel’s transmittal of court documents and attorney notes to the plaintiff’s nonparty treating physician prior to the physician’s testimony for the defense constituted improper ex parte contact.
Synopsis: Whether a limited liability company that agreed to merge with another company violated the Washington Limited Liability Company Act by failing to tender payment for a dissenting member’s interest within 30 days after the member’s initial demand for payment.
Synopsis: Whether in a prosecution for third degree rape the burden of proving that the child victim was competent to testify rested on the State as the party that called the child as a witness.
Synopsis: Whether Washington’s special education funding mechanisms unconstitutionally underfund special education, and whether basic education funds can be applied to meet the State’s obligation to fully fund special education.
