New chief justice, first Native American member sworn in

Jan 08, 20200

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New Washington Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis, left, reacts to applause after she was sworn in, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020, in Olympia, Wash. Montoya-Lewis was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to fulfill the remaining term of former Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst, who retired in January as she battles cancer. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) The Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The Washington Supreme Court on Monday swore in a new chief justice as well as its first Native American justice ever.

The Spokesman-Review reports Justice Debra Stephens became the court's 57th chief justice. A former Appeals Court judge and adjunct professor of law at Gonzaga University, she called it "the greatest privilege I can imagine."

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/washington/articles/2020-01-06/new-chief-justice-first-native-american-member-sworn-in