The Washington State Supreme Court Temple of Justice is seen Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Olympia.
The Washington Supreme Court will review a case involving recall petition against Yakima City Councilman Jason White.
The case was accepted last month by the court after Liz Hallock, a Yakima attorney representing David Briggs in the case, appealed Benton-Franklin Superior Court Judge Bruce A. Spanner's decision on May 27 to toss the case out.
The lawsuit came after White made headlines in late April over posts on his personal Facebook page that encouraged people to not follow public health recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. He encouraged community members to take off their masks and get back to work.
In his ruling on the matter, Spanner said there was not enough evidence to warrant a recall against White and his social media posts did not violate his oath of office.
Spanner's decision meant that the petition for recall would not move onto the signature gathering stage.
The Supreme Court could reverse or uphold that decision.
The Supreme Court will consider the case en banc on Aug. 5, meaning it will review petitions and information already on hand, rather than have a public oral hearing, said court spokeswoman Lorrie Thompson. She said it was possible a decision would be made the same day or shortly after.
