State Court of Appeals taking road trip Sept. 7 to Pasco

Three appellate judges will take a road trip this week to hold court in Pasco.

The Washington state Court of Appeals’ Division III is based in Spokane, but occasionally the judges travel to other Eastern Washington cities to give the public a glimpse into the workings of the court.

On Sept. 7, a three-judge panel will visit the Franklin County Courthouse to hear appeals on two cases.

The first case involves a state Department of Social and Health Services finding of mental abuse by a care provider toward a vulnerable adult. That case originated in Yakima County.

The appeals judges also will review a Franklin County judge’s decision to deny class certification in a lawsuit by four nurses against Lourdes Medical Center dealing with rest and meal periods and wages.

Arguments last about 30 minutes on each case, and will start at 10:30 a.m. in Superior Court’s Courtroom 1.

Once the legal proceedings are wrapped up, Chief Judge George Fearing and Judges Kevin Korsmo and Laurel Siddoway will take questions from the public about the role and function of the Court of Appeals.

“We look forward to visiting Pasco and welcome members of the public to join us,” Fearing, a former Tri-City lawyer, said in a news release. “We intend to visit other communities in Eastern Washington in the following months as we make the court more accessible to the parties and their counsel.”

Fearing added: “Court community visits are a wonderful way for the public to learn more about the judicial branch of government up close, and we thank the judges of the Benton-Franklin Superior Court for hosting us in Pasco.”

In the Yakima County case, Verda Lee Crosswhite is appealing the finding by DSHS’s Adult Protective Services program. It stems from a complaint that Crosswhite was a licensed care provider for a vulnerable adult when she got into a verbal conflict with the woman during a doctor’s appointment.

In the Franklin County matter, Marietta Jones, Oralia Garcia, Kathleen Christianson and Judith Chavez claimed Lourdes failed to provide them with necessary breaks and wages as required by law.

Division III hears appeals from Ferry, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Adams, Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfiend, Grant, Walla Walla, Whitman, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat and Yakima counties.

This story was originally published September 5, 2016 at 5:47 PM with the headline "State Court of Appeals taking road trip Sept. 7 to Pasco."