Washington
Washington’s highest court is the Washington Supreme Court. The court has seven justices, one associate chief justice, and one chief justice, who is chosen for a four-year term by a majority of the members of the court. (Source: Washington Constitution)
Judicial Selection
Washington Supreme Court justices are selected through a nonpartisan election, where multiple candidates may vie for the seat. The elected justice serves a six-year term. Justices may seek additional terms through nonpartisan elections. When a seat opens in the middle of a justice’s term, the governor appoints a candidate to fill the vacancy. The appointed justice holds office until Washington’s next general election. The elected justice serves the remainder of the unexpired term. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 75.
State Constitution
Washington’s first and only state constitution was adopted in 1889. As of January 1, 2026, it had 109 amendments. (Data on file with John Dinan, Wake Forest University.)
Filters
Resistance to Public Policies Assisting the Poor
Property owners have challenged programs meant to assist vulnerable populations, alleging they are unconstitutional takings of private property for public use.
Wyoming Supreme Court Signals Openness to Limiting Excessive Punishments
At oral arguments over the constitutionality of mandatory life-without-parole sentences for young adults, several justices suggested the right to be free from “cruel or unusual” punishments might be fundamental.
State Judges Target the U.S. Supreme Court
A justice in Washington concurred in a recent opinion but dissented “from the racism embedded in the federal case law that applies to this dispute.”
States, Not the President, Run Elections in America
The administration’s attempts to undermine or interfere with elections run afoul of constitutional delegations of responsibility.
2025 Ballot Measures to Watch
Voters will decide whether to amend their state constitutions or statutes regarding redistricting, voting, firearm access, parental rights, taxes, and more.
States Grapple with the Death Penalty
More people have been executed in 2025 than in any year of the past decade. But some states are strengthening protections against the death penalty.
The Extra Hurdle in State Courts to Prove a Statute Violates the U.S. Constitution
Many states require a litigant challenging a statute as violating the U.S. Constitution to prove the statute is unconstitutional “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
State Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in October
Issues on the dockets include New York’s Voting Rights Act, investigations of gender-affirming care for minors, and Meta’s challenge to a disclosure law for political ads.