Saint Martin’s to host Washington Court of Appeals

March 7, 2007

Lacey, Wash. – Saint Martin’s University will host Division Two of the Washington Court of Appeals while it hears oral arguments on March 19 and 22 in the Norman Worthington Center. The public is invited to attend.

Hearings will begin at 9 a.m. on March 19 and at 8:00 a.m. on March 22. Court of Appeals Judges David Armstrong, J. Robin Hunt and Joel Penoyar will hear oral arguments in five cases on the 19th and six cases on the 22nd. On both days, the Court will recess during proceedings to meet with students over lunch and address their questions as time permits.

Saint Martin’s University adjunct business law professor, Shawn Newman, coordinated the Court of Appeals campus visit and plans to use the proceedings as a teaching tool. Newman credits the court’s visit to the efforts of Kathleen Downey Friedman, administrative assistant to Judge J. Robin Hunt and widow of former Saint Martin business law professor, Bernard Friedman.

Newman says, “the three judges are especially interested in talking with our students about the judicial process and specific elements of the cases to be heard. This provides a unique learning opportunity.” Newman has distributed summaries of the cases to his students who are to prepare term papers based on their research and observations.

Division Two of the Washington State Court of Appeals has made community visits throughout its geographic area since 1993. Judge J. Robin Hunt views the community visits, such as the hearings to be held at Saint Martin’s as important. “The opportunity to attend oral arguments about local cases in a forum close to home helps bridge the information gap that frustrates citizens wanting to understand how our appellate court system works,” she notes. “We plan to take time between cases to help fill that gap for the Saint Martin students and other members of the public who attend.” The Court hears appeals from trial courts throughout Western Washington and has the authority to overrule, remand, modify or affirm trial courts’ decisions.

Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 22 majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering. A Catholic, Benedictine university, Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,100 students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey, Washington main campus, and 600 more to three extension campuses.

For additional information:

Anne Kirske
Interim communication director
Saint Martin’s University
360.486.8857
akirske@stmartin.edu