Organization

Washington State Supreme Court

Named in 20 stories. Back to all names

Feb 27, 1890The Town That Suddenly Didn't ExistA Supreme Court ruling declaring sixty Washington towns unconstitutional leaves saloon keepers in Roslyn facing a massive $10,000 licensing bill.Roslyn, WA
Nov 16, 1891No Appropriation, No Warrants: Washington's 1891 Budget StandoffThe state treasurer refuses to honor university and militia warrants the legislature never funded, the Supreme Court backs him up, and Governor Ferry — in poor health — lets the idea of an extra session die.Olympia, WA
Dec 9, 1891The Governor's $50,000 BondA defaulting King County treasurer's case reaches the U.S. Supreme Court, leaving Governor Ferry and other bondsmen on the hook for $34,000.Seattle, WA
Apr 19, 1892The Mayor's Veto: When Seattle Tried to Make the City Pay for Street ImprovementsA 1892 legal battle over funding street infrastructure shows that Seattle’s struggle with municipal debt and civic improvement bonds has been brewing for over a century.Superior Court of Washington for King County, Seattle, WA
Jan 21, 1893The Treasurer's Escaped LiabilityA landmark state supreme court decision saves King County bondsmen from paying for a massive treasury shortage.Seattle, WA
Jun 14, 1893The Logger’s Right to be PaidA landmark Supreme Court decision upholds the right of loggers to place liens on timber they harvested, shielding laborers from corporate efforts to dodge payroll.Seattle, WA
Nov 28, 1893The Ghost Town That Refused to DieA legal war between Denver, Washington, and the city of Spokane ends in the state supreme court, effectively wiping a town off the map.Spokane, WA
Jun 29, 1903School Directors Barred from Self-DealingThe Supreme Court rules that school directors cannot bypass competitive contracts by doing the work themselves and billing the district.Olympia, WA
Jul 22, 1903Washington Court Rules Fathers Have No Legal Duty to Support Illegitimate ChildrenA landmark decision from the state supreme court highlights a massive legal loophole regarding parental responsibility.Olympia, WA
Sep 14, 1903Supreme Court Rules on Tideland OwnershipA landmark decision confirms that Indigenous nations hold title to tidelands within reservation boundaries.Olympia, WA
Sep 21, 1903Cheney Normal School Teachers Win Legal BattleThe Supreme Court rules that two women teachers wrongfully dismissed from the Cheney Normal School are entitled to their full contract pay.Cheney Normal School, Cheney, WA
Oct 5, 1903The Logging Hazard: Court Rules on Hidden DangersA landmark state supreme court decision shields lumber merchants from liability for hidden defects in timber that cause mill accidents.Stanwood, WA
Jan 7, 1904The Supreme Court Stops Corporate BullyingA landmark Washington State Supreme Court ruling protects minority shareholders from being forced out by predatory syndicates.Spokane, WA
Jul 15, 1909The Shadow of Corporate Influence Over Washington's Highest CourtAttorney Herbert N. De Wolfe challenges the integrity of the state Supreme Court, alleging that corporate interests have compromised the bench.Olympia, WA
Dec 15, 1911The Price of JusticeThe Washington State Supreme Court admits that legal machinery has long worked against the poor, promising to prioritize the cases of those unable to afford bail.Everett, WA
Jun 14, 1912The Battle for a Living Wage in WashingtonWhen the State Supreme Court struck down Spokane’s minimum wage ordinance, they left city workers vulnerable to the whims of contractors and the bottom line.Everett, WA
Dec 16, 1915Washington State Prepares for ProhibitionThe state supreme court confirms that the prohibition law is constitutional, setting the stage for saloons to close their doors by the New Year.Seattle, WA
Dec 17, 1915The Day Washington State Went DryAfter a hard-fought political battle and a landmark Supreme Court ruling, the state's 1,200 saloons were ordered to shutter their doors as statewide prohibition became the law of the land.Olympia, WA
May 25, 1917The Price of MalpracticeSupreme Court rules against doctor for surgical materials left in patient.Colville, WA
May 4, 1923State Supreme Court Rules Police May Search Cars Without WarrantsA landmark decision affirms that officers need not secure a warrant if they have probable cause to suspect liquor law violations.Whatcom County, Bellingham, WA