SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Dori: Announcement of new SCOWA justice was a leftist mess

Apr 14, 2020, 6:39 AM | Updated: 10:09 am

helen whitener, Washington Supreme Court...

Judge G. Helen Whitener.

One crucial element was missing Monday as Gov. Inslee announced the newest appointee to the State Supreme Court. G. Helen Whitener will fill the seat of retiring Justice Charles Wiggins. In a 10 minute period during which Inslee introduced the judge, Judge Whitener spoke, and the media asked questions, we learned a lot of things about Whitener.

She’s an immigrant from Trinidad. Inslee bizarrely said, “I believe she is the first woman who is black in our community.”

Her bio tells us that Whitener and her wife are LQBTQI activists. And a 2015 article I found about her tells us she thinks the law is a “dynamic structure which must adjust to society.”

But after all that talk and all the research, there is one thing never mentioned: Our state constitution.

As Judge Whitener took questions from the media Monday, she was greeted by a liberal word salad, as one reporter asked, “I know you have had a tremendous focus throughout your career on equity, diversity and inclusiveness … how do you see your role as a Supreme Court Justice on advancing that work you have done?”

It is not the job of a Supreme Court Justice to advance social justice causes. It is their job to make rulings based on their constitutionality.

She replied, “as far as equity and inclusion … we are to be concerned about how our actions impact others.”

So, if she doesn’t like how someone’s action impacts another but the action is constitutional, which way will she rule?

When it came to the constitution during this press event … Zero. Nada. Zilch.

Democrats in our state have made clear their intent to finally achieve their Holy Grail — a state income tax. They will have to do an end-run around the constitution to achieve that goal. You would think that someone, anyone, in the press corps would have asked if she believes our state constitution is our absolute guiding legal document, or if it’s a “structure which must adjust to society.” Because ultimately, that’s infinitely more important than all the leftist buzzwords that were tossed around Monday.

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

pet food...

KIRO 7 News Staff

DOJ sues WA pet food company, claims unsanitary conditions led to repeated contaminations

The United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit, seeking to permanently stop Washington pet food manufacturer Arrow Reliance Inc.

36 minutes ago

Associated Press

2 people died in military helicopter crash near Fort Hood, officials say

An Army Apache attack helicopter crashed in a central Texas field on Wednesday, killing both people on board and sparking a wildfire that forced several homes to be evacuated, sheriff’s official said. Officials from nearby Fort Hood announced that the AH-64 Apache helicopter had crashed. Cliff Coleman, spokesman for the Bell County Sheriff’s office confirmed […]

41 minutes ago

...

No Author

Listen Live: Seahawks Football Returns to Lumen Field

Don't miss a minute of Seahawks football. Listen live to every preseason and regular season game on the Seattle Sports and KIRO Newsradio apps.

47 minutes ago

free school meals...

KIRO Newsradio staff

Seattle council approves $3.6 million for free school meals

The Seattle City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve $3.6 million to provide free school meals for students this school year.

56 minutes ago

New York Attorney General Letitia James, flanked by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, left, and New Yo...

Associated Press

ICE’s plan to give officers electric shock gloves draws outrage and fears of misuse

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s plan to give officers gloves that deliver painful electric shocks faced criticism Wednesday from Democratic elected officials and civil rights advocates, who called it unnecessary and cruel. ICE plans to spend between $10 million and $20 million to outfit officers and agents with “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices,” according to a […]

1 hour ago

FILE - The U.S. Department of Justice logo is seen on a podium before a news conference, May 4, 202...

Associated Press

US government charges 11 people in scheme to obtain green cards through sham marriages

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Justice has charged nearly a dozen people with participating in a multimillion-dollar scheme to help hundreds of Chinese nationals fraudulently obtain green cards through sham marriages to U.S. citizens, officials said Wednesday. American citizens were paid as much as $30,000 to enter into bogus marriages with immigrants seeking lawful […]

2 hours ago

Dori: Announcement of new SCOWA justice was a leftist mess