Judge applies law to students’ lives

When Spokane County District Court Judge Richard White spoke to Stacy Delcour’s senior civics class at West Valley High School on Thursday, he seemed as at home in the classroom as he was in his black robe.

He was there to discuss the Fourth Amendment, which guards against unlawful search and seizure, as part of the international Street Law program that teaches high school students about the law as it applies to them.

White has been volunteering in classrooms for 18 years. “I’ve been in every junior high and high school in the county,” he said.

Thursday’s discussion centered on the circumstances police need to get a search warrant and how warrants restrict police officers. As an example, White cited a recent 3:30 a.m. call he’d received from a police detective seeking a warrant to search a home for evidence of a rape. The warrant restricted police to collecting certain items as evidence from only one location in the house. “I have to be persuaded that there is probable cause that a crime has been committed,” he said.

The students asked what would happen if police found evidence of another crime elsewhere in the house. If the officer collected the other evidence, it would likely be ruled inadmissible at trial, White said, even if the person was guilty.

“The point is, was the evidence found in violation of the Fourth Amendment?” he said. “My job is to make sure the parties in a case follow the law.”

White’s been visiting Delcour’s classroom monthly since the beginning of the year. She said her students are more engaged in the class and find it more relevant. White’s discussions add life to what can be dry, clinical explanations of constitutional amendments and laws. “The kids really like it,” she said.

White said he wants to put a face on the judicial system and doesn’t want students to be afraid of the court system. “It’s fun,” he said. “These are really interesting issues. The kids get a kick out of it.”

His volunteer work has intersected with his day job. More than a dozen years ago, White said, he was talking about law to students at a Spokane middle school. The teacher had students write him thank you notes.

White was struck by one note in particular, written by a student with an unusual name, which said the student had learned a lot and would try hard to stay out of trouble. The boy included his fingerprints in pencil at the bottom of the letter.

The letter was framed and has hung on White’s wall for years. About 10 years after he received it, White spotted someone with the same name on his court docket. He sent his clerk to fetch the letter from his office, and, when the man’s turn came, the judge asked if the two had met.

The man didn’t remember the encounter until he was shown the letter. “It is me,” he said. “I guess I didn’t try hard enough.”

FBLA competition winners

Local high school students recently competed in the Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference in Spokane. The top finishers in each category will advance to the National Leadership Conference in California in June.

•Freeman High School: Those advancing to nationals are Leah Willard, first place, job interview; Felicity Weathers, Carolanne Lyons and Stacy Sainsbury, first place, American enterprise system; and Isaac Hamilton, second place, help desk.

Alternates for the national competition are Stacy Sainsbury, fourth place, electronic career portfolio; Cameron Moore, Josh Reed and Andy Coumont, fifth place, business presentation; Anthony Emtman, fifth place, help desk; Josh Grandinetti, Coumont and Dalton Fetsch, fifth place, network design.

The Freeman FBLA chapter was also named the largest chapter in the Northwest region for the third straight year. It also received an award for most professional members.

•Central Valley High School: Those advancing to nationals are Penny Zhang, first place in introduction to business communication and third place in business math; Randi Wilson, Anna Highley and Mallory Morgan, second place, management decision making.

Also receiving recognition were Jesse Rennaker, fifth place, community service project; Dallan Wagner, fifth place in technology concepts and fourth in networking concepts.

The Central Valley FBLA chapter also received the Gold Seal Chapter Award of Merit.

EV Idol competition Thursday

The East Valley High School chapter of DECA, or Distributive Education Clubs of America, will host a competition modeled after “American Idol.”

The competition will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in the school gym, 15711 E. Wellesley Ave. The public is invited to watch local musicians battle for the title of EV Idol.

The winner will receive recording time donated by Jantz Records. Prizes will be given to second- and third-place winners. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. Proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Spokane.

Running Start info nights

Students interested in getting a jump on college by enrolling in college classes while still in high school are invited to attend one of two Running Start information nights this month.

High school juniors and seniors and their parents can meet current Running Start students and instructors. Most classes are tuition-free, and class credits will transfer to most colleges.

Information sessions will begin at:

•7 p.m. Tuesday at Spokane Falls Community College, SUB Lounges A, B and C, Building 17, 3410 W. Fort Wright Drive.

•7 p.m. April 29 at the Spokane Community College Lair Student Center, Sasquatch Room, Building 6, 1810 N. Greene St.

For more information, call SFCC at (509) 533-3524 or SCC at (509) 533-8215.

Auction to benefit St. Mary’s

St. Mary’s Catholic School will host its annual dinner and auction fundraiser next Saturday at the Mirabeau Park Hotel, 1100 N. Sullivan Road. This year’s event is themed “Erin Go Bragh.”

A silent auction will begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a live auction. There will be raffles during the evening. Dancing to the music of the Jackson Street Band will close the evening.

Items up for bid include travel packages, golf trips, dinner parties, jewelry and sports memorabilia. A list of items is available at stmarysspokane.maestroweb.com.

The cost is $45 a person. The annual event funds 10 percent of the school’s annual budget. Call (509) 924-4300, ext. 206, for reservations.