State Ex Rel. Haley v. Elliott

Relator, a police officer of the city of Seattle, sought a writ of mandate to compel the civil service commission of that city to place him in position No. 3 on an eligible list based upon a promotional examination held on April 10, 1939, for the position of police sergeant, and to require the commission to give him the preference as to appointment over any person holding a position on the list lower than No. 2. A trial to the court on the merits resulted in the entry of a judgment quashing the alternative writ and dismissing the action. The relator appealed.

As the trial court observed, in…