The full State Supreme Court, including Chief Justice Gerry Alexander, crossed the street from the Temple of Justice to the Capitol today to take part in Legacy Project honors for two of their esteemed former colleagues. 

The occasion in Secretary of State Sam Reed’s ornate office was the rollout of new oral histories and biographies of Carolyn Dimmick, Washington’s first female justice who later was elevated by the president to the U.S. District Court bench, and Robert F. Utter, a widely respected former chief justice, scholar and social justice advocate who stepped down from the bench to protest the death penalty.

Reed said both jurists are heroes and mentors to young people, attorneys and judges. He said they have used their long and distinguished careers to underscore the crucial role of the courts in a civil society. He said both continue to contribute greatly to their communities and beyond. 

• Dimmick was introduced by Justice Debra Stephens, who holds Dimmick’s old seat on the state high court, and by Judge Robert Lasnik, who succeeded Dimmick on the U.S. District Court. Dimmick, still going strong at 79, continues to serve as a senior-status judge several days a week. 
• Utter was introduced by Justice Charles Johnson and King County Superior Court Judge William Downing. Both Utter and Dimmick made brief remarks in ceremonies televised by TVW.

The Legacy Project is part of the Washington State Heritage Center planned for the Capitol Campus in Olympia. Chief Historian John Hughes says he hopes to help make history “come alive” for school kids and to preserve some of the inspiring stories of people who make a difference. The oral histories include a profile/biography, a full transcript of sit-down interviews, a bio box, and photos.  They are free and online here .    

Previously posted entries spotlighted three fascinating people who were each pioneers in his or her own way: Rocker Krist Novoselic,  scrappy newswoman Adele Ferguson, and the state’s first ethnic minority Supreme Court justice, Charles Z. Smith. The Novoselic pieces have gotten thousands of hits since being written up by Rolling Stone magazine and the AP nationally.