Welcome to the 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.
The Project has received generous support from the Berry Family Fund and the College of Liberal Arts at Washington State University. Please explore, send us feedback, and learn more About the Project.
Our annual summary of the Court’s opinions has just been released. Go to the 2011 Year In Review page for a list of the top ten cases of 2011, along with selected analyses of the Justices’ work.
Austin Jenkins talks with Justice Gerry Alexander.
Justice Alexander Speaks at the Wilder & White Capitol Design Centennial.
Chief Justice Barbara Madsen provided the following charge to the committee in her appointment letter to members:
The purpose of the steering committee is to oversee the development of a long-range strategic plan for the Supreme Court of the State of Washington in its capacity as the state’s court of last resort and as a court of original jurisdiction….
The members of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee met on July 18, 2011. Attached is a copy of the Meeting Packet and Presentation.
“Inside Olympia” host Austin Jenkins sits down for a full hour with Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Madsen, discussing the “state of the state judiciary” and how are state budget cuts affecting our courts.
Our annual summary of the Court’s opinions has just been published. Go to the 2010 Year In Review page for a list of the top ten cases of 2010, along with selected analyses of the Justices’ work.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Madsen delivers the State of the Judiciary Address during a joint session of the Washington State House of Representatives and State Senate.
In 2009 the Court decided 120 cases. 59 were decided by unanimous decision while 17 were decided by a bare majority 5-4 vote. Among the Court’s most noteworthy decisions, it applied a flexible and purposive reading to statutory requirements regarding the initiative and referendum process, delivered a significant opinion applying the political question doctrine to an action seeking to compel the president of the Senate to forward a bill to the House of Representatives, and ruled that the right to counsel guaranteed by the Washington State Constitution is more expansive than the right to counsel guaranteed by the United States Constitution.
Details are now posted on the 2009 Year In Review page, which includes summaries of the ten most noteworthy decisions of 2009.
The following TVW broadcast features debates between Supreme Court Justice Jim Johnson and challenger Stan Rumbaugh, as well as Justice Richard Sanders and challenger Charlie Wiggins.