Seeing democracy in action: Court of Appeals holds oral arguments at Gonzaga Prep

High school students scrambled into the auditorium Friday morning at Gonzaga Preparatory.

As they settled into their seats, a clerk loudly called out “Please rise,” and in filed three judges clad in their dark robes.

A hush fell over the room, and court was in session.

It was a rare chance for the students to see democracy in action as the Washington State Court of Appeals Division III heard oral arguments.

“We always hear about this in our history books and our classes, but we never get a close look at our state’s judicial branch,” said Katie Codd, an 18-year-old senior. “I feel like this is just a really good experience for students just to be able to learn more.”

The court worked with the chair of Gonzaga Prep’s social studies department, Taryn League, to facilitate the oral arguments and classroom visits from judges earlier this month.

“This is really relevant and important to us these days; as we look forward to the election cycle, we’re doubling down on civics,” said Michael Doherty, school president. “And reminding students that our government, our democracy, is founded on civil discourse, and the ability for us to disagree and to come to resolution.”

The Court of Appeals occasionally hears oral arguments in various Eastern Washington cities outside of Spokane, where it’s based. The court has heard oral arguments at five high schools since resuming community-based arguments in 2022.

Presiding Judge George Fearing gave students a brief overview of how the court of appeals operates, taking cases from across Eastern Washington that have already gone through the county superior court.

Cases are decided by a three-judge panel, which Friday included Judges Tracy Staab and John Cooney, along with Fearing.

Fearing then gave a brief synopsis of the first case and the issues at hand before attorneys jumped into their oral arguments. In one case the judge were asked to consider whether a lower court erred when ordering an eviction from a mobile home park.

“I thought it was cool to see the attorneys’ perspective, just how they think about the law and manipulate it to work in their favor,” said Hugues Niyonyishu, a 17-year-old senior.

Niyonyishu was surprised and confused how different the facts of a case can sound when presented by opposing sides.

The hearing was relevant for Niyonyishu, a three-sport athlete who hopes to study business administration before going on to law school in pursuit of a career as a sports agent.

The judges took questions between arguments about their careers and the process of deciding cases.

Niyonyishu asked how the judges go back and forth so quickly between different sides of a case.

Research and an open mind are key, said Cooney said.

“The more you research, the more you get used to the facts,” Cooney said. “It’s amazing how I think I have an idea where I’m gonna go with something, and then they’ll bring up some point that I didn’t think about.”

Staab likened the process of evaluating a case to being on a debate team, where you have to argue both sides to reach the best answer.

“That’s somewhat how we approach these cases, with an open mind in the search for the right answer,” Staab said. “Regardless of which side that is, we’re not here to advocate for a side, we’re here to advocate for the right answer.”

That approach highlighted what Doherty said Gonzaga Prep teaches through historical legal case studies where students must argue both sides.

While the morning was full of learning, there were moments that reminded students that judges and attorneys are just people, like when the Gonzaga Prep fight song blared from the speakers.

“I didn’t prepare a dance for this, your honor,” Attorney Mary Rathbone joked. “I hope I don’t get marked down.”

The song seemed to end, and Fearing began to restart arguments when it began playing again.

“It seems to only come on when I’m talking,” Fearing said with a chuckle.

Laughs pealed through the auditorium before the court returned to session.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Mary Rathbone’s name.