State Supreme Court
position 3
Dave Larson
https://www.facebook.com/larsonforjustice/
http://larsonforwa.com/?fbclid=IwAR2zooBX808kp4viZAiJglSDOqNg5jA8McLJX2jg24ywEk5qBpZNZYgTv7Y
“uphold the state constitution as written”
“make our communities safer and the lives of people better through drug courts, mental health courts, veteran’s courts, and community courts.”
fair, impartial, non-partisan.
rated exceptionally well qualified as a trial judge.
He lists about a million items in his bio.
There’s nothing blatantly awful about this candidate. I have some concerns about his strict Constitutionalism. He just made the mistake of running against a woman who has the potential to follow in the footsteps of the great RBG.
Raquel Montoya-Lewis incumbent
Former chief judge for Lummi, Nooksack, and Upper Skagit tribes.
Taught at WWU: cultural identity development, transgender histories & identities, children & the law, federal Indian law, property law, legal writing. Presents nationally on implicit bias, cultural identity, Indian child welfare – the list goes on.
She is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Isleta, descendant of the Laguna tribe.
Her father was Pueblo of Isleta and her mother was Jewish. She was brought up in both traditions, and it shows.
This one’s a keeper. Her history resonates with me. And she’s already in the position. She has a tatoo on her arm. It says “Be kind. Do justice.” How can you argue with that?
Its pretty obvious to me that Raquel Montoya-Lewis is doing right by us and we should keep her there. I’ll be voting for Raquel Montoya-Lewis.
position 4
Charles Johnson incumbent, unopposed
He’s been on the court since 1991 and has been doing a good job for us all these years. Even though I generally do not vote for unopposed candidates, I will be voting for justice Charles Johnson.
position 6
Richard Serns
https://www.richardsernssc2020.com/
His background is in education, as a teacher and administrator.
He runs, hikes, and camps.
His campaign slogan “finding solutions, not finding fault.”
I find myself niggling because as an educator his website should not be so poorly edited.
He’s got a great discussion on “strict construction” vs “living document.” I happen to disagree with his conclusion, even if it is well argued. My main concern is that this man has never actually practiced law or served as a judge. That’s a very poor starting point for wanting to serve on the supreme court.
G Helen Whitener incumbent
https://www.justicehelenwhitener.com/
https://www.courts.wa.gov/index.cfm?fa=home.sub&org=mjc&layout=2&page=bioWhitener
She has served as a Pierce County Superior Court judge and as both a prosecutor and defense attorney.
She was appointed by Governor Inslee in April of this year.
She has received awards for “excellence in diversity and inclusion”
She happens to be African-American. She's originally from Trinidad, and tells a delightful story about meeting a moose in Alaska. She come across as a wonderful personality, with a strong focus on teaching and inspiring young people. I will be voting to re-elect Helen Whitener.
position 7
Debra Stephens incumbent
Unanimously elected by her colleagues as Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court, 2019.
Originally appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire in 2008.
Previously served as judge in the Court of Appeals.
Has an extensive history of arguing cases before state and federal courts.
while I don't often vote for people running unopposed, this one is worth the vote. I will be voting to re-elect Debra Stephens.
Island County Superior Court
position 1
Christon Skinner
https://www.facebook.com/ElectSkinner2020/
He is running unopposed, unfortunately. He is endorsed by a whole long list of people whose political positions I dislike intensely. I also heard from an attorney that he was systematically leaning on all the attorneys in the county to endorse him. I find that less than honorable.
I will be leaving this one blank.
position 2
Its really awkward writing about judicial candidates. By law they are not allowed to express opinions on any subject which might come before them as a judge. That doesn’t leave a whole lot they can talk about.
Carolyn Cliff
https://www.carolyncliff4judge.com/
trustee, Arise Trust (scholarships for women)
Senior Services Foundation board
She’s “lived in that courthouse” since 1989. Does her homework.
She provides a list of clients and cases, and has represented people who are absolutely opposed to what I work for on a daily basis.
She is a strong supporter of drug court, saying that it provides incentives to change behavior and it is cost effective.
She promises to exercise respect, dignity, compassion, and patience.
She believes that court appointed defense attorneys do a good job for indigent defendants.
In response to a question about moot courts, she said that she would cheerfully participate, whether elected or not.
I have known Carolyn Cliff peripherally since she first set up shop in Island County. I think she would be an ‘ok’ judge, but I think we have a better choice.
Kathleen Petrich
https://www.friendstoelectkathleenpetrich.com/index.html
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-petrich-5b702a4
president, Friends of the Langley Library
passion for rule of law, access to justice programs, creating healthy communities, and stewardship of our planet’s natural resources.
retired from private practice 2018.
“I'm passionate about the importance of good courts at every level of the nation. Confidence in the rule of law and in the fairness of our judiciary is a pillar of a country that works for all its citizens. We all need to know that our voices will be heard and that justice will be fair to us and to our neighbors.
Being a good judge is hard work and I’m a proven hard worker, with decades of experience in the law. Each person before the Court has a matter of great importance to him/her/them. They deserve a fair, impartial, hard-working, smart, kind, firm judge who comes prepared and ready to render a just result.
I will be that judge.”
• Highly respected attorney for nearly 3 decades (admitted to practice in Washington State in 1992)
• Named Best Lawyer & Washington Super Lawyer (top 50 women list)
• Current Island County Pro Tem Superior Court Judge (on an as needed basis)
• Former Island County District Court Pro Tem Judge
• Years of complex civil litigation (mostly in Federal Courts in Washington and around the country)
• Law Degree (Juris Doctorate) from Seattle University School of Law (1992)
• Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering from Valparaiso University (1982)
• Married 33 years, a mom for 26
She is a big fan of drug courts. That option is determined by the prosecutor. There is limited access. Its great if it works. Incarceration is the most expensive option. On treatment vs punishment, the judge must balance the possible harm the defendant can do, both to him/herself and to the community. She works for fairness.
Given that your practice has focused specifically on intellectual property law, how will you address matters in the many varied areas which will come before you?
She has practiced with many good lawyers. She will have to do on-the-job training. Luckily she is a quick study. There are no law school courses on how to be a judge. She will miss judges Hancock and Churchill. She calls herself a “knowledge junkie” and finds it exciting to learn new areas of importance to participants in a case.
How can indigent and pro se defendants and/or appellants find justice when confronting well paid and well trained opposition attorneys?
The system should be equal but it is not. Judges walk a fine line when dealing with pro se parties. Judges are forbidden to help the parties. It is a problem and becomes painful watching untrained people bumble through the process. Criminal defendants have a right to counsel, but not civil litigants. She can refer parties to resources. The state bar association has created a Licensed Legal Tech program, but it only applies to family law.
She would love to see defense funded but is pessimistic. She would love to see public education, legal advice, and general information on how courts operate.
Please tell us about moot courts and how you would implement them.
There are 4 schools which serve Island County. We could do a moot court competition, complete with state mock trial teams. Many attorneys go into the field after participating in moot courts and mock trials. This brings in kids from diverse and challenged backgrounds. There are some great stories. She would visit with history and civics teachers, school principals, and the bar association, and draft up a plan/outline. She would commit to meeting and practicing with the kids. All this would culminate in a mock trial, then a debrief and celebration. Students would also gain school credit for their work.
What is the role of a court commissioner?
The court commissioner wears the robe and is assigned by the sitting judges to juvenile court, family court, and pro tem to other cases. The court is now very lean. She will advocate for the court system. She likes the idea of quarterly public forums, in an annual cycle of topics, with a tour of the courthouse. The forums would present the various steps involved in a court case. She finds civics education to be scarily limited, and says that understanding the court system is important.
I asked a question of both candidates: Are you familiar with the necessity defense, and would you entertain it in an environmental case? Neither was familiar with this defense as practiced. Kathleen was upfront about saying she was unfamiliar but was interested to learn. FYI, the necessity defense says that you had to do something illegal to prevent a greater harm. The classic: I had to hit him hard to get him off the railroad track before the train ran him over. Until recently judges have not allowed the necessity defense in environmental cases. That is beginning to change.
Overall, I think Kathleen Petrich will serve us better as a Superior Court judge. I will be voting for Kathleen Petrich.
Thank You for all your work and information. I usually know who I am voting for, but you provide so much more information than I have. Now I really feel like an informed voter.
ReplyDeleteOnce again - THANK YOU!!!! This has been an info-laden aid to my decision making process. Fabulous input! Thank you - thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your amazing work, Marianne!
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