King County Superior Court
KING COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
------------------ ISSUES AND ANSWERS ------------------
We asked the candidates these three questions:
Question 1. Why are you running for office?
Question 2. What public policy issues would be most important to you in the office you seek?
Question 3. What would you like to accomplish if elected?
# indicates incumbent
----------- POSITION 26 -----------
Doug North.
Age: 43.
Occupation: Attorney.
Family: Married, two children.
Education: B.A., J.D.
King County Bar Association rating: Exceptionally well-qualified.
1. I have always found the most fulfilling work to be public service in the pursuit of justice. My 17-year record of standing up for ordinary people and small businesses in court is documented in over 40 published court opinions improving the law for people from all walks of life. My receipt of the Bar Association's highest rating and the Seattle Police Guild's Endorsement and highest rating of "exceptionally well qualified" make me the most qualified of the candidates in this race.
2. The foremost job of any judge is to conduct fair and even-handed trials in a dignified and efficient courtroom. Through court committees and task forces with the bar, I will work to make the courts more accessible and understandable to the public. We must revise the Juvenile Justice Act so that young people are held more accountable for their actions and their families are involved in the judicial process. Criminal law must be applied firmly and fairly to protect victims and the public.
3. I would like to make the courts more understandable and make it easier for people to represent themselves in court. This is particularly needed in divorce cases. And many divorces would not be so bitter if husband and wife had an opportunity to attempt to mediate their disagreements before they hire attorneys.
Mary Ellen Hudgins.
Age: No response.
Occupation: Commissioner, Washington State Court of Appeals, Division I, Seattle.
Family: No response.
Education: B.A., economics; J.D., UPS School of Law.
King County Bar Association rating: Well qualified.
1. I am running for Superior Court to continue my commitment to public service in the legal system. I graduated first in my class from UPS law school in 1976. For 10 years I was a trial attorney. At the Northwest Women's Law Center, I tried Blair V. WSU, establishing equal rights for women to athletic scholarships and programs. Since 1986 I have been with the Court of Appeals, a Commissioner since 1989, hearing oral argument and reviewing every category of criminal and civil case decided in the Superior Court. I am endorsed by the Women's Political Caucus and King County Labor Council and highly rated by all bar associations who gave a rating. I have been active in my community serving on the boards of Mt. Baker Community Club, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Fund, Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Pacific Health Associates at Pacific Medical Center.
2. Increasing access to our courts for everyone, with special emphasis on those excluded by economic and language barriers. Joining in on-going efforts to consolidate our family-law department with our juvenile court system to better serve families involved in those courts. The examination of the continued viability of the juvenile offender system, in light of the significant increase in the seriousness of crimes routinely committed by juvenile offenders.
3. To be an exemplary judge, knowledgeable and hardworking, providing a fair hearing to all litigants regardless of gender, race, age or other characteristic which might traditionally have been a basis for discrimination. To work on committees concerning access to the courts and revision of the juvenile justice sytem. To otherwise contribute to the efficiency of our justice system by eliminating unnecessary delay and bias that may exist in the system.
Tim Bradbury # .
Age: 51.
Occupation: Superior Court judge.
Family: No response.
Education: B.A., M.A., J.D.
King County Bar Association rating: Adequate.
1. I want to stay on the court as a King County Superior Court Judge. I am a good judge. And I enjoy the work. Both Washington Women Lawyers and the Hispanic Bar Association rate me `exceptionally well qualified.' I listen carefully and completely, with a genuinely open mind. I treat everyone in my courtroom with dignity and respect.
2. In criminal cases, our legal system does not pay enough attention nor commit enough resources for the most important person: the victim. We do not do enough to help the victim recover from the crime, especially the emotional trauma involved. We do not do enough to help them deal with the emotional stress of testifying at trial. And we do next to nothing to support them if the defendant is acquitted. We have begun to change that, primarily in the area of domestic violence. But we can and must do much more. I hold violent offenders accountable above all else.
3. The safety of our community; greater assistance at the courthouse for persons acting as their own attorney in family law matters (i.e., dissolution of marriage, child custody and visitation, and child support modification) in these times of cutbacks of available resources; and working hard at moving the cases along so that the delay in time to trial is reduced.
Jeanette Burrage.
Age: 43.
Occupation: Deputy prosecuting attorney, Snohomish County.
Family: Married, two children.
Education: B.A., J.D.
King County Bar Association rating: Not qualified.
1.To provide an atmosphere for impartial, just and swift application of the law. To help change the judicial system to one that operates to punish criminals, to teach juveniles that crime does not pay and to uphold the underlying principles in our Constitution, rather than reinterpret it for current political causes.
2. Judges should not comment on public policy issues except those dealing with the judicial system. As a member of the judiciary, I will inform legislators of needed changes. To save people money, I would explore the creation of limited practice officers as an alternative to attorneys in fields like divorces and adoptions.
3. I would like to accomplish these things: a) Easier access to the courts through preassigned judges to cases, alternatives such as mediation and limited-practice officers, less procedural rules and more ability for court personnel to guide people in the process; b) a return to swift and sure punishment of crime as a general rule; c) better communication between judges and legislative bodies.
Jeff Beaver.
Age: 44.
Occupation: Attorney.
Family: Married, four children.
Education: B.A., J.D.
King County Bar Association rating: Exceptionally well-qualified.
1. It's time to reform the justice system. The public is losing faith in our system of justice. If the public continues to lose faith in our courts and in their ability to deliver justice our system of law and order will erode away. I am running for Superior Court Judge to advocate for the reform of our justice sytem and to give something back to our community. King County can ill afford judges with limited professional or personal experiences. A judge needs a broad perspective and "walking around" common sense. My call for reforms, and community leadership has earned me the endorsement of 12 judges and the rating of "exceptionally well qualfiied" by all four King County Bar Associations. No other candidate in this race can claim this consistently high rating.
2. As a King County district judge pro tem, I see firsthand how the courts are backlogged with cases that should not go to trial. As an advocate for change, I am calling for the increased use of mandatory arbitration for cases involving amounts of less than $150,000. This will free our courts to deliver justice more efficiently and inexpensively. The cost of litigation is soaring out of control for the middle class. Reforms can be developed which will increase the efficiency of the courts, and at the same time, cut the costs of expensive and time-consuming litigation.
3. Reforming the justice system and regaining the public's trust and confidence in the system is my top priority. It will take all of us getting involved within our community to accomplish this. One of the reasons I am running for Superior Court judge is to give something back to my community. The diversity of King County is one of its strengths. As judge, a broad cross-section of people from King County will come before my court and will receive principled decisions based on objectivity and fairness, without regard to political ideology, philosophy, or one's "station in life." We need judges with a broad perspective and personal history to be able to rule objectively and fairly for King County's diverse population.
----------- Position 37 -----------
Will Patton.
Age: 50.
Occupation: Director, Utilities Section, Seattle City Attorney's office.
Family: Married, five children.
Education: B.A., J.D.
King County Bar Association rating: Well qualified.
1. Now more than ever we need change. People are losing faith in our judicial process. The courts seem remote, inefficient and often arbitrary. There is a real need for new judges experienced in complex civil litigation. As an antitrust lawyer and municipal litigator, I have that experience. . . . Four King County councilmembers recently described me as having the "keen intellect, common sense, even disposition, impeccable integrity and deep-seated fairness . . . critical . . . for the King County Superior Court."
2. Courts in the United States are often the arbiters of fundamental clashes of values which lie behind a civil lawsuit or a criminal prosecution. The failure of the legislative process to resolve these basic conflicts often results in statutes which are ambiguous. Accordingly, the courts are left as the place of last resort to resolve this conflict and ambiguity. Respect for the judicial process, which is so threatened today, can only be maintained if judges take the time and effort to explain why they do something. Judges have more explaining to do.
3. King County Superior Court needs greater individual accountability by its judges. Much as in the federal court system, cases should be uniformly preassigned so that the judges can become familiar with the issues and the parties. In addition, the judges will then be accountable for managing their cases and for providing prompt but thoughtful resolution of them. Superior Court judges should also take greater responsibility for identifying flaws and destructive trends in the law. Justice can only be served if judges - even elected judges - are willing to take risks to make our government and our courts work better. I have the will to take those risks.
Nicole MacInnes # .
Age: 51.
Occupation: Judge, King County Superior Court.
Family: Married, three children.
Education: B.A., J.D.
King County Bar Association rating: Exceptionally well-qualified.
1. After serving 6 years as a Seattle Municipal Court Judge, I was appointed to King County Superior Court. In those six years the voters expressed their satisfaction with my work by re-electing me three times. I bring a wealth of experience and knowledge about public-safety issues to the Superior Court, as demonstrated by endorsements from the Seattle Police Officers Guild, the King County Police Officers Guild, the King County Labor Council and 50 judges in King County. In addition, the King County Bar, Asian Bar, Hispanic Bar and Washington Women Lawyers have all rated me exceptionally well qualified.
2. Protecting our communities, families and children have been of upmost importance to me throughout my career. As a Municipal Court judge, I focused on domestic-violence issues, which helped establish Seattle as a national model for handling domestic-violence cases. As a King County prosecutor for 11 years, I specialized in domestic violence, sexual assault and child-abuse cases. In talking to citizens throughout King County, their overriding concerns are to protect our businesses and neighborhoods and to make sure that our courts are fair and accessible to all people. These are criticial issues which I am addressing as a Superior Court Judge.
3. While I was presiding judge at Seattle Municipal Court, the busiest court in the state, I was responsible for a staff of 240 people and a budget of $16 million. As a result, I bring to Superior Court considerable insight regarding issues of court efficiency and accountability, which will enable me to work toward restoring public confidence in our judicial process.
Theresa Gibbons.
Age: 39.
Occupation: Attorney.
Family: Married.
Education: B.A., J.D. .
King County Bar Association rating: Not rated.
1. I've wanted to run for office since 1981 when I first was a bailiff in family-law court. Steven Gaddis was the only family commmissioner at the time. There were over 100 cases on schedule for that day and I had to read them out. I heard one party for about an hour over who was going to get the yellow sauce pans. I thought that on the bench I would be very good at addressing the people's problems on a case-by-case basis and bring some common sense - not arguing about yellow sauce pans - and really get down to the essence of the case.
2. I believe the public has a poor impression of lawyers and the judiciary. Lawyers think they're better and smarter than everybody else and judges seem to be removed from peoples suffering and realities. I intend to be a real person on the bench. I'll be very decisive, but the parties will also know that when they come into that courtroom they are going to get an objective judge and nothing will jeopardize my being objective on each and every case. That is my No. 1 goal. My No. 2 goal is that the parties feel they are heard. They have to feel like it is their judicial system, that they have access to it and that it is fair.
3. Only 16 percent of cases in superior court are criminal law cases and at least 50 percent have family-law orientation. There is a lot of discretion in family-law settings. You can order drug-abuse
treatment, parenting classes, public-health nurses, counseling - there are all kinds of options. I think that the judges need to be aware of this. I think that there have been biases against fathers and we need to include the whole family in our decisions.
Alex Wirt.
Age: 58.
Occupation: Private practice attorney.
Family: Married, two children.
Education: B.A., J.D.
King County Bar Association rating: Adequate.
1. I am seeking election to the King County Superior Court because my experience as a general practitioner is needed on the court. Too many of our judges come from large firms, prosecuting attorneys or government offices. The court needs someone with experience in handling the problems confronting the average citizen: divorce, child abuse, domestic violence, people disputes. My many years in private practice, emphasizing these areas, experience as an arbitrator (22 times), as a trial lawyer and as a volunteer in general legal clinics and domestic violence/legal assistance programs have shown me that there is a present need on the bench for a person with my experience and qualifications.
2. Ensuring a quality judiciary that is open to all. The public's perception of the courts is less than complimentary. However, it is the legal profession's duty to establish a fair, open and competent court system. It is important to me, whether elected or not, that the court system be and remain open, receptive, even-handed and something all citizens can be proud of.
3. If elected, I would like to continue the work I've been involved with on the Jurisdiction and Venue and Court Congestion Committees. Too many civil cases get bogged down waiting for their trial date 19-24 months after filing. I would like to see cases prepared earlier by putting time limits on discovery, coupled with earlier dispositive motions. I feel this would speed cases toward mandatory settlement more quickly. I would also like to see the family law commissioners assigned to work directly with three to five judges who would be assigned to the majority of family law matters. This would ensure consistency of procedures and rulings and avoid some of the post-dissolution bitterness created when stories about results start to circulate.
Don Gulliford.
Age: 56.
Occupation: Trial attorney Family: Two daughters.
Education: B.A., J.D.
King County Bar Association rating: Well qualified.
1. To have a judge on the bench with a lot (28 years) of varied litigation and court experience in state and federal courts, on both civil and criminal cases. I think a good trial judge has to have some matured seasoning, i.e., hearing and presenting testimony, weighing evidence and testimony, which I have done countless times as a private and King County arbitrator.
2. I have made an effort to be informed on budget matters and our county judicial caseload - and it looks disturbing to me. For example, we have rises . . . in juvenile offenders and felony filings. The biggest budget increase is for interpreters' salaries, which means we have a lot of new Americans in our judicial system. Yet we see a proposed budget decrease forecasted by the county.
3. First, have citizens and their lawyers who come into my courtroom feel that they got a fair shake. Second, I have urged that in King County we go to the individual calendar system which means that each case, at least civil ones, is assigned to a particular judge for the duration . . . Judges do a better job when they know the case from start to finish. Third, I would strongly like to see rule and statute changes so as to allow Superior Court judges to hear cases at places like Kent Commons, local high schools and the like, instead of downtown Seattle, to infuse citizens with what trials are really like, and the consequences of violent youth behavior in particular.
Peter B. Camp.
Age: 39.
Occupation: Attorney .
Family: Married, two children.
Education: B.A., J.D.
King County Bar Association rating: Well qualified.
1. It's the best way I can help people. I am a very good trial lawyer - my record speaks for itself. But my passion for the law, and for helping people, isn't satisfied. I can help many more people as a judge than in private practice. I can help people by making sure that everyone gets a fair shake, and no tricks to stop people from having their day in court.
2. A Superior Court judge should implement policy, not have an agenda to make policy. Policy should be made by the people's elected representatives in the Legislature. The Superior Court judge's job is to apply the Legislature's policies to the cases before the judge. A judge is supposed to be a neutral and impartial. A judge with an agenda is dangerous.
The selection of judges is currently being considered by a task force appointed by the governor. The voters should continue to elect the judges. To answer the valid complaints of the voters that they do not have enough information to make informed choices in election, the judges need to get out into the community listen to the concerns of the voters, and educate those who want to learn more about how the third independent branch of government works.
3. A. Provide more computer/database capability to the Superior Court so that it can actively manage the caseload to reduce time to trial; B. Use the individual calendar docket, which will allow the public to quantify and measure how many cases a year a judge handles and completes; C. Reach out to the communities, so that all citizens have an opportunity to ask questions and raise legal system concerns with their elected judges; and D. Revise the rules for cases smaller than $35,000 to allow for prompt handling without the need for lawyers.