PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County Court Clerk Marianne Walters is getting ready for some very important guests today — the Washington State Supreme Court.
The Superior Court courtroom has been rearranged to accommodate the nine justices who will hear arguments on three cases beginning at 9 a.m. today.
The visit is part of Chief Justice Gerry Alexander’s plan to bring the Supreme Court to the people.
One of the justices will be Susan Owens of Forks, the first North Olympic Peninsula jurist elected to the high court.
“It is prestigious and exciting and we are hoping this is the wave of the future and they’ll utilize our courtroom more often,” Walters said.
“We’ve been getting phone calls all week from people who are interested in seeing the Supreme Court.”
The justices will hear arguments on these cases:
* State of Washington v. Chad T. Huffmeyer, concerning speedy trial provisions.
* Washington v. Thomas Reid, concerning the release from Western State Hospital of a person acquitted because of an insanity defense.
* Salvadore Delgado Guijosa v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., concerning a jury’s setting aside of a Consumer Protection Act dispute.
The justices will hear the first two cases in the morning and the third case beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Details are in today’s Peninsula Daily News Jefferson edition, on sale in Jefferson County. Or click onto “Subscribe” to order your copy via U.S. mail.