8 vie for Superior Court judgeship

Eight Snohomish County lawyers have submitted their names as candidates to replace Superior Court Judge Joseph Thibodeau, who retired last week.

The seven men and one woman who submitted their names to Gov. Gary Locke, who will appoint one to the bench, vary from private attorneys to prosecutors to a Snohomish County district judge.

The candidates are:

• Jacalyn Brudvik, a Snohomish County Superior Court commissioner.

• Peter Camp, an attorney in the Everett City Attorney's Office.

• Michael Downes, a prosecutor in the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

• Stephen Dwyer, a Snohomish County district judge.

• Geoff Gibbs, a private attorney and part-time court commissioner.

• David Kurtz, a prosecutor in the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

• Eric Lucas, an administrative-appeals judge with the state Environmental Hearings Office.

• Richard Okrent, a defense attorney.

Barb Goody, who works in Locke's office, said the eight candidates will undergo criminal-background and reference checks, and Snohomish County prosecutors, sitting judges and local attorneys will provide perspectives on the candidates.

Goody said Locke hopes to have a new judge seated by early February.

In the meantime, the Snohomish County Bar Association has asked its members to rank and rate the candidates.

Members of the Snohomish County branch of Washington Women Lawyers, county bar members, local politicians and several sitting judges voted on the candidates during a forum last Wednesday.

Lynnwood attorney Denice Patrick said Downes and Dwyer were voted "well-qualified." Okrent, Lucas and Kurtz were voted "qualified." Camp received a mixed vote of "qualified" and "unknown."

Patrick said the voting information will be given to Locke's office.

Here's a look at the candidates:

• Jacalyn Brudvik, 50, of Mukilteo.

Brudvik has been a Snohomish County Superior Court commissioner since 1998. Before that she worked for the King County Society of Counsel for 11 years and, earlier, in the Snohomish County public-defenders office.

• Peter Camp, 47, of Bothell.

Camp, who has worked at the Everett City Attorney's Office since 1998, supervises the outside litigation of civil cases. He said his accomplishments include negotiating a $26 million contract with Kimberly-Clark for the construction and operation of a pipeline for treated sewage from the city's Water Pollution Control Facility and the mill.

Before joining the city of Everett, Camp spent 18 years working in private law practices in Seattle and Houston.

Michael Downes, 51, of Everett.

Downes has worked at the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney's Office since 1983. He began in the misdemeanor division and is currently the assistant chief criminal deputy prosecutor.

Downes prosecuted Charles Finch for the 1994 murder of Snohomish County sheriff's Deputy Jim Kinard and Ron Modlin, a blind friend of Finch's estranged wife. Finch was sentenced to life in prison.

Downes is currently prosecuting the eight people accused of participating in the kidnapping and slaying of Rachel Burkheimer.

• Stephen Dwyer, 47, of Edmonds.

Dwyer was elected to the Snohomish County District Court bench in 1994. Dwyer, who works in the South Division court in Lynnwood, won this year's Outstanding Judge of the Year Award from the Washington State Bar Association. In 2001, he was named Judge of the Year by the Washington Trial Lawyers Association. Dwyer began his career as a law clerk at the state Court of Appeals.

Before taking the bench, he had his own practice, handling mostly civil cases. He has also served three terms on the Edmonds City Council.

• Geoff Gibbs, 55, of Everett.

Gibbs has worked part time as a Snohomish County Superior Court judge and court commissioner for about eight years. During this time he has also worked as a court commissioner in Cascade and Everett district courts. When he is not on the bench, Gibbs handles mostly civil cases out of his Everett law office.

Before working in Everett, Gibbs practiced law in Seattle. In addition to his law practice, Gibbs is on the board of trustees for the Snohomish County Bar Association and on the Rules of Professional Conduct Committee for the state bar association.

• David Kurtz, 50, of Everett.

Kurtz joined the felony charging unit at the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in 1983. Since then, he has supervised the special-assault unit and has spent the past year running the juvenile-court unit. Before becoming a prosecutor, Kurtz had his own practice and worked as a deputy prosecutor in Chelan County.

He is the immediate past president of the Snohomish County Bar Association and is a member of the bar association's board of trustees. Kurtz is also on the executive board of the Snohomish County Labor Council.

• Eric Lucas, 49, of Everett.

Lucas has spent nearly two years serving as an administrative appeals judge for the state Environmental Hearings Office. Before his appointment, he spent 11 years working as the city attorney for the city of Langley, Whidbey Island.

During the last two years he worked for Langley, he was both city attorney and city administrator. Lucas has also worked as a pro tem judge for Snohomish County Superior Court and worked as a deputy King County prosecutor.

• Richard Okrent, 48 of Lynnwood.

Okrent has spent the past 13 years working as a defense attorney based in Lynnwood. Before opening his office, Okrent worked as an Island County deputy prosecutor and in the Snohomish County Family Law Division. He is the secretary of the Snohomish County Bar Association.

Jennifer Sullivan: 425-783-0604 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com