02-05-2025
Spokane County judges reaffirm their Constitutional oath, condemn politicization and bending of rule of law
May 1—William Shakespeare wasn't all that far off when he wrote the infamous "Let's kill all the lawyers" line from "Henry VI, Part II," said Spokane County Superior Court Judge Breean Beggs on the courthouse steps Thursday.
"The quote comes from a man named Dick the Butcher, who's engaged in a rebellion and wants to create chaos and tyranny ... He says the first thing we have to do is silence the lawyers because they are in the way of freedom and a well-ordered government," Beggs told the crowd. "... In this courthouse, we've got judges who are standing ready to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, regardless of how popular or unpopular it is on any one day. And we have lawyers who are willing to represent people to the best of their ability."
Beggs and a group of other Spokane County Judges stood outside the courthouse to again take their Constitutional oath for National Law Day.
Below the steps stood 9-year-old Ayva Griffith, who was there to recite the oath along with them.
"They support us. They take care of people," said Ayva, whose family is filled with lawyers. "It makes me feel happy."
Beggs spoke to more than 50 people on the courthouse lawn, including lawyers, county employees and citizens, urging them not to forgo the meaning of the Constitution out of fear or pressure, and to remind them that those in the Spokane judiciary took an oath to protect the rule of law without favorability.
Although the event was not created in response to any "recent events" or actions taken against judges and lawyers from President Donald Trump and his administration, Beggs reminded the crowd, the timing is ripe.
Washington State Bar Association President Sunitha Anjilvel acknowledged in a press release that "we are feeling very divided as a country."
Trump's executive orders in the last three months of his presidency have thrown legal professionals into a tailspin — as Trump promises to retaliate against law firms that don't bow to his administration's requests and call for the impeachment of judges who rule against his executive orders for being unconstitutional, some law firms are caving to the demands, while judges are standing firm.
When Trump called for the impeachment of James Boasberg, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Chief Justice John Roberts issued a statement pushing back on the sentiment, saying, "impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision."
Federal officials this month also accused a Wisconsin judge of helping an immigrant evade arrest in her courtroom. She was arrested on charges of obstructing an agency and concealing someone to prevent an arrest, according to NPR, when she allegedly escorted the defendant through a jury door out into the hallway after learning ICE officials only had an administrative warrant and not one signed by a judge.
Trump's actions have prompted prominent scholars to refer to the recent executive actions as a Constitutional crisis, the New York Times reported, citing the efforts to revoke birthright citizenship, bypassing congressional powers and threatening to deport people with different political beliefs.
While Beggs declined to speak about ongoing legal controversies related to the Trump Administration, he said in general terms, there have always been people throughout history who believe one person should have full power to govern rather than the Constitution and laws of the country. And he consistently reminded those attending Law Day that "the rule of law is not political."
"The power of our country is our rule of law, and the lawyers and the judges that make it so," he said in an interview. "There's ups and downs, but this country is fabulous, and it's the rule of law that makes it fabulous."
Luvera Law Firm attorney Mark Kamitomo, who has practiced since 1989, warned the rule of law will not exist if the Constitution becomes meaningless. His family immigrated from Japan to Canada in a time where Japanese people had no due process in Canada or the U.S. Looking back, it's hard to believe that decades earlier, "my father and his family were living in animal stalls," Kamitomo said.
"Under our Constitution, which is the cornerstone of America's democracy, the same laws apply to all — that no one is above the law and we all have the same unalienable liberties and rights that no one, including the government, can infringe upon," he said. "... It's become apparent that a movement to preserve the rule of law, government objectivity and fairness for all, must come from the ground up."
Kamitomo said it's always concerning seeing people who are part of the judicial system "bend the rules." It appears that nowadays, he said, the Constitution is meaningless when the end goal is to gain more power.
"To me, that's a slippery slope," Kamitomo said in an interview.
As Beggs faced the sun in his black robe, he held up his right hand to lead the Constitutional oath to pledge honesty, truth and respect to the justice system. The crowd followed.
At the end, a woman in the crowd quietly commented on her admiration for Beggs' previous comments: "All of us are created equal," he had said earlier. "In Spokane, we all belong."
