The Washington State Court of Appeals makes decisions each year that affect each of us in our professional and personal lives with decisions on such issues as education funding, a business owner’s right to refuse service to customers based on their sexual orientation, as well as issues touching on gun control, landlord/tenant relations, collective bargaining, land use, growth management, and taxation. Regardless of your position on these issues or the myriad of other cases that our state court of appeals decides each year, you will want to hear from each candidate for our court of appeals so that you make an informed decision when you send in your ballot this year. 
 
The candidates are very interested in hearing from you since voters play a critical role in deciding who should be judges in our state. Accordingly, accurate and meaningful information must be available to voters to assist them in making an informed choice about judicial candidates. Voters need to know whether a candidate has the essential qualities to be a good judge: integrity, knowledge of the law, intelligence and common sense, freedom from bias to apply the law fairly, and the background and skills to preside over a  courtroom with dignity and courtesy to all participants. 
 
Judicial candidates are, however, limited in discussing certain subjects. For example, judicial candidates are not allowed by the Canons of Judicial Conduct to discuss their views on disputed legal or political issues. The reason for this is that judges must be apolitical arbiters of the law. Therefore, they must not make promises during campaigns about how they might rule or otherwise suggest that they have prejudged a case they have not yet heard. 
 
Out of respect for these limitations placed on our judicial candidates, we are requesting that you pre-submit your questions for review so that this debate is productive and respectful. Please submit your proposed question to the Rotary Office by 12:00 noon on September 22, 2020. The program team will review your question and suggest modifications if appropriate.

About the candidates: 

Tracy Staab
Current Spokane Municipal Court Judge for 11 years; accomplished attorney for 16 years with ten years focused on appeals. Extensive experience in civil and criminal law. Other professional experience includes
Former Board member, Spokane Regional Law, and Justice Council; Former Board Member District and Municipal Court Judges Association; Washington State Pattern Forms Committee; Former Adjunct Professor of Business Law at North Idaho College. CLICK HERE to view more information about Tracy Staab. 
 
Marshall Casey
 Practicing attorney: 10 years. Private practice with appeals/trial/mediation/arbitration experience in multiple areas including first amendment rights, property rights, financial and consumer protection, personal injury, land use, and insurance. Other professional experience includes 9 years at a large financial institution where I was appointed a Vice President. Owned my law firm for 7 years. On the Board of Governors for the Washington State Association of Justice. CLICK HERE to view more information about Marshall Casey.

Interested in attending? CLICK HERE to contact the Rotary office.