Washington Supreme Court
From Ballotpedia
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The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judicial system of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices.[1] Members of the Court are elected at large by the voters to six-year terms. Justices must retire at the age of 75.
Rulings on ballot measures
| Ballot measure | Legal issue | Court ruling |
|---|---|---|
| I-960 (2007) | Prohibited initiative subject | Court kept I-960 on the ballot (private lawsuit had sought to have it removed) |
| I-695 (1999) | Single-subject rule | Court invalidated I-695; see Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 v. State of Washington |
| I-747 (2001) | Voters were ignorant | All provisions of I-747 were invalidated; see Washington Citizens Action v. State |
| I-722 (2000) | Single-subject rule | All provisions of I-722 were invalidated |
Rulings on initiative rights
- Coppernoll v. Reed. In this 2005 decision, the court declined to strike Washington Initiative 330 (2005) from the ballot.
- Waremart v. Progressive Campaigns, Inc.. In this 1999 ruling, the court said that petitioners working for Progressive Campaigns, Inc. did not have the right to collect signatures at three Waremart grocery stores located in the state of Washington.
- Southcenter Joint Venture v. National Democratic Policy Committee. In this 1989 decision, the court said that distributing political material at a large regional shopping mall did not fit with the state's constitution, even though petition circulators can collect signatures there.
- Alderwood Associations v. Washington Environmental Council. This 1981 decision said that petitioners can collect signatures at a large regional shopping center, even if the mall's owners don't want them to.
Current Justices
- Gerry L. Alexander [1], Chief Justice
- Bobbe Bridge [2]
- Tom Chambers (judge) [3]
- Mary Fairhurst [4]
- Charles W. Johnson (jurist) [5]
- James M. Johnson [6]
- Barbara Madsen [7]
- Susan Owens [8]
- Richard B. Sanders [9]
