2024 TCBA Law Day Speech Topic
On March 4, 2024, the Washington State Legislature passed Initiative 2113, which rolled back some of the language in RCW 10.116.060 relating to Vehicular Pursuit. These changes will go into effect sometime in the next several months.
| Initiative Measure No. 2113 removed certain restrictions on vehicular pursuits, allowing them upon conditions including an officer’s reasonable suspicion a person has violated the law and poses a threat to the safety of others. |
The summary for Initiative 2113 reads as follows:
| This measure removed certain restrictions on when peace officers may engage in vehicular pursuits. Such pursuits would be allowed when the officer has a reasonable suspicion a person has violated the law, pursuit is necessary to identify or apprehend the person, the person poses a threat to the safety of others, those safety risks are greater than those of the pursuit, and a supervisor authorizes the pursuit. |
Do you support the changes made by Initiative 2113, do you support that RCW 11.116.060 should have continued to remain good law, or do you support some other change that would be more appropriate?
Choose your position on Initiative 2113 – support your reasons and arguments for or against, using facts, law and specific data to substantiate your position.
Refer to RCW 10.116.060 and RCW 46.61.035 in researching your response.
The speech should be approximately five to seven minutes long. There will be a preliminary round on April 16, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. that will take place at Thurston County Superior Court (courtroom 102) on the main Thurston County Courthouse Campus (2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Olympia). The top three speeches will advance to a final round on April 30, 2024, at a West Olympia Rotary lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Viewpoint Room below Tugboat Annie’s Restaurant (2100 West Bay Drive NW, Olympia). The total prize money is $1,800.00 and will be awarded by the TCBA to the top three speeches ($800 for 1st place, $600 for 2nd place, and $400 for 3rd place) and each of the three winners will receive a plaque from the West Olympia Rotary Club. This speech contest is open to all high school students in Thurston County.
Deadline: You must notify Thurston County Bar Association (TCBA) of your intent to participate in the speech contest no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 12, 2024. Please email your intent to participate with your name, grade, school, and contact information to tcba.info@nullgmail.com. If you have any questions, please contact Heather at the TCBA at tcba.info@nullgmail.com.