Washington Supreme Court Justices Sworn Into Their New Roles
The Washington State Supreme Court this week transitioned from its bench being the longest-serving single group of justices to being the most diverse group of justices in state history.
New Chief Justice Debra L. Stephens and new Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis took their oaths of office at the Temple of Justice in Olympia, expressing gratitude for the parents, elders and mentors who taught them to believe in themselves and helped them learn about justice. The ceremony was broadcast and recorded by TVW, and can be viewed at https://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2020011000.
Stephens, a native of Spokane who has served on the court since 2008, was unanimously voted to the Chief Justice role by her colleagues on the bench after former Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst announced her early retirement to focus on health and family. The Chief Justice is the lead spokesperson and administrative head of the judicial branch, and is elected every four years by the nine justices of the court.
“I feel profoundly thankful to be here right now in this moment. It’s the greatest privilege I can imagine to be one of the individuals serving on this court in this role. I hope to make your jobs easier in every way I can.”
— Chief Justice Debra L. Stephens
Stephens said that from her father, Jim, she learned about jumping in with both feet and that “it’s a personal responsibility to create the kind of community you want to live in.” From her mother, Jan, “I really learned to trust in the goodness of the universe, that opens your heart and mind to living in hope and no fear. And I think that is the soul of justice.”
Stephens also thanked legal mentors she had worked and practiced with, and thanked Fairhurst, who sat in the audience for the ceremony, for her inspiration and guidance. “You have given your all to this court and to the justice system,” she said to Fairhurst. “You have inspired us, challenged us, and organized us to do our best work. You leave this court in a very good place.”
Governor Jay Inslee said it was “wondrous to have a daughter of Spokane here as Chief Justice,” and then introduced new Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis, his appointee to the position left vacant by Fairhurst.
“My administration spends a huge amount of time on judicial appointments,” Inslee said. “The reason for that is the longer I am a participant in democracy, the more I understand the critical nature of having an independent, strong and conscientious judicial system. The preservation of our civil rights depends on this system. The preservation of the central pillars of democracy depends on this system.”
Inslee said he was “thrilled” with the appointment of Montoya-Lewis to the bench because of her experience and qualities as a jurist. Her Native American heritage and her experience as a tribal judge are an added bonus, he said.
Montoya-Lewis took her seat saying that it is traditional in Pueblo culture to introduce yourself by tracing your family tree as far back as possible. “This requires us to remember who we came from,” she said. “As my father told me, I am defined by who came before me and who will follow me.” Speaking of her father, who is of Pueblo descent, and her mother, who is Jewish, and how hard they fought for her future, “Today is a day none of us could imagine in our wildest dreams,” she said.
Montoya-Lewis spoke of mentors in the legal community who have supported her for many years. One was retired Washington Supreme Court Justice C. Z. Smith, who encouraged her during her law school years and then wrote her a letter when she was appointed to the Whatcom County Superior Court in 2014, encouraging her to aim for the state supreme court. Retired Justice Bobbe Bridge also supported and encouraged Montoya-Lewis in her career, and was at the ceremony to formally robe the new justice.
Montoya-Lewis said she is frequently asked about her judicial philosophy. “I believe my role is to listen carefully, with neutrality and fairness, and to apply the law regardless of my personal, subjective beliefs,” she said.
After thanking those whose hard work made the ceremony possible, Stephens ended the program by pointing out that before Fairhurst’s retirement, the nine justices had been the longest-serving single group in state history, and that with Montoya-Lewis’ appointment, “This is now the most diverse group of justices in state history.”
Visit our website for full biographies of the Washington Supreme Court justices.
Visit our Flickr album for more pictures from the event.
