Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

Washington Supreme Court Will Visit and Hear Cases at University of Puget Sound September 13-14

The Washington Supreme Court will visit the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma September 13-14, where they will visit faculty, staff and students, hold panel discussions, answer questions and hear two oral arguments on September 14 starting at 9 a.m.

The panels and arguments are open to the public and will both be held at Schneebeck Concert Hall on Puget Sound campus.

"We are honored to welcome the distinguished members of the Washington State Supreme Court to our campus for this momentous event," University of Puget Sound President Isiaah Crawford said. "This gathering embodies our commitment to fostering a deeper understanding of the legal system and its impact on our society.

“As we open our doors to oral arguments, panel discussions and vibrant interactions, we aim to ignite curiosity and critical thinking among our students and the community. The University of Puget Sound is proud to serve as a platform for dialogue, learning, and the pursuit of justice."

After having lunch with Puget Sound students, members of the Court will hold their first hour-long panel discussing recent United States Supreme Court decisions and Washington state law as a whole, at 12:45 p.m. on September 13. Then after touring the campus and visiting classrooms, the court will have their second panel at 4 p.m. titled, “Insights from the Bench” where the justices will give their thoughts on recent and future state and federal judicial trends, impactful advocacy and career opportunities.

The visit is part of a travelling court outreach program in which justices travel to two or three communities around Washington each year to hear real cases and talk with community members about the judicial branch. The justices most recently visited Seattle University in February and Whidbey Island in May. They are scheduled to next visit the University of Washington in January.

“We don't just hear cases, we also go to classes, answer questions and learn from the questions that that are asked to us,” said Justice Susan Owens, co-chair of the Traveling Court Committee. “Traveling court allows a wide variety of people who want to know more about the justice system to see it at no expense. We enjoy going to the different parts of the state to answer questions and explain the legal system, because most people don’t see it at our level.”

The nine Supreme Court Justices will hear oral arguments for the following cases. Justice Whitener will be participating remotely for her first argument since returning from medical leave. Directly following the arguments, the Justices will hold a Q and A segment with the audience at the concert hall.

9 a.m. Case No. 101561-5, Premera Blue Cross v. P.E.L., P.L., & J.L.: Whether in this action against a health insurer for bad faith denial of coverage, the claimant must produce evidence of objective symptoms of harm in order to recover emotional distress damages.

9:55 a.m. Case No. 101777-4, State v. Carter and Reite: Whether in resentencing a 20-year-old offender to mandatory life without release, the trial court had authority to impose a determinate sentence, and whether the court could resentence the defendant on other convictions stemming from the same incident.

All Washington Supreme Court oral arguments are open to the public, and are livestreamed and recorded by Washington’s Public Affairs network, TVW. Though cameras and video recorders are generally allowed, the Court asks that no flash, other lights or noisy mechanisms be used during the hearings.