State appeals court meets at Skagit Valley College

Generations of Skagit Valley College students have been tutored in acting at the Phil Tarro Theatre on the school’s Mount Vernon campus.

But Thursday morning it was a real-life drama that played out on the main stage there.

That is when SVC hosted oral argument hearings conducted by the three-judge Washington State Division I Court of Appeals, based in Seattle and whose docket takes cases originating in King, Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, San Juan and Island counties.

The panel heard attorneys present arguments in two civil and two criminal appellate cases.

A non-discretionary appellate court – it must accept all appeals filed with it – this court has authority to reverse (overturn), remand (send back to the lower court), modify or affirm lower court decisions. The court decides each case after reviewing the trial transcript from the court of origin and considering the arguments of the parties.

The court generally hears oral arguments in each case but does not take live testimony.

That was the format at SVC, where one of the court’s jurists, Cecily Hazelrigg, previously earned her Associate in Technical Arts in paralegal studies.

Judge Hazelrigg approached SVC leadership with a proposal that the college host the court’s hearings to foster a better understanding of the justice system and improve legal literacy within the community.

To that end, the proceedings were attended by numerous SVC students.

One, Mount Vernon High School graduate Adam Wagenbach, told the Weekly News he was attending as part of an assignment for a communications class.

“I’m watching and taking notes on the various presentations made by the attorneys,” he said during a break between cases.

Wagenbach showed his detailed notes, then mentioned how impressed he was that the attorneys could retain their trains of thought despite repeatedly being cut off mid-sentence with complex questions posed by the judges.

“I know that would drive me crazy,” said Wagenbach, who plans completing work on a two-year degree before transferring to a four-year school to pursue a bachelor’s degree, perhaps in education.

Each argument lasted about 20 minutes. A question-and-answer session followed, when students, instructors and members of the public were invited to ask about the operations of the court. SVC students also participated in their own panel discussion.

During the morning’s oral arguments, students heard the attorneys reference case law and familiar courtroom terms such as “precedent” and “prejudice.”

Less familiar and very un-Perry Mason-like words and phrases – “peremptory challenge” was among them – were also voiced, causing students to quickly thumb through the thick vocabulary and guided notes packets they were provided beforehand.

At one point, counsel representing a civil plaintiff stressed: “I think words matter,” further underscoring the value of the students’ key terms lists.

The sessions were open to the public and recorded and livestreamed by TeleVision Washington (TVW), which offers unedited coverage of Washington state government, politics and public policy.

The Court of Appeals judges were completely on board with taking their work on the road.

“I am so looking forward to this great opportunity to have our court travel to the northern part of our region,” Division 1 Chief Judge Lori K. Smith told the media prior to embarking for Mount Vernon. “Having our arguments available for viewing via TVW has provided the opportunity for more people to see oral argument. But giving people who might not be able to travel to Seattle the opportunity to see oral argument live and ask questions afterwards is really exciting for us.”