Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Heather Singleton, et al. v. Mary Fairhurst, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Washington, et al.
Paid petition · Supreme Court of Washington, No. 96512-9 · judgment May 1, 2019
Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.
Question presented
Whether the Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court in order to ensure “maximum efficiency” of Washington courts pursuant to Wash. Rev. Code 2.56.030(3), and (4), can consistent with the Supremacy Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution, issue an order authorizing a pro tem judge to exercise judicial power to adjudicate a specific case to its conclusion without having to consider litigants’ challenges that the pro tem judge is constitutionally prohibited from doing so under this Court’s Due Process Clause precedents. Whether under the Supremacy Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment a pro tem judge in Washington State who has been authorized by the Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court to adjudicate a case to its conclusion, and who has a legal duty under Washington law to comply with this direction pursuant to Wash. Rev. Code 2.56.040 must still consider recusing herself based on her JUDGMENT as set forth on the record where litigants challenge she is biased under this Court’s due process precedents.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Scott Erik Stafne
Stafne Law Advocacy and Consulting
For respondent
Jeffrey Todd Even
Case
Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference
Proceedings
- Oct 07 2019Petition DENIED.
- Aug 21 2019DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/1/2019.
- Aug 14 2019Waiver of right of respondents Mary Fairhurst, et al. to respond filed.
- Jul 30 2019Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 3, 2019)