Charles J. Delaurenti, or “Chas” as he is affectionately known, has been a King County District Court judge since 1982. He grew up in the Renton community, graduating from Renton High School, and attended Seattle University undergraduate and Gonzaga law schools. He served as a former Supreme Court clerk and King County prosecuting attorney before taking the bench.
Over the past 25 years, Judge Delaurenti has served the citizens of King County with intellect, energy, wisdom and compassion. His courtroom has served as a training ground for hundreds of young defenders and prosecutors. His court is considered by all litigants to be a place where justice is dispensed with great professionalism, a quiet confidence and humility. But his service to the community has reached far beyond the courtroom.
Active in the District and Municipal Court Judges Association, chairing various committees over the years, including the Board for Court Education, Judge Delaurenti has focused his energies from judicial education to helping other judges. He is now chair of the Judicial Assistance Program, a program that is a one-of-a-kind in the United States.
Barbara Harper is the director of the Lawyer Services Department of the WSBA. She works directly with Judge Delaurenti on the committee and has remarked that he has taken the lead in forging a program that includes a model for peer counselor training provided by the WSBA.
“I have been particularly impressed by how tirelessly Judge Delaurenti has worked as we have established the administration of the JASP,” Harper said. The model for the JASP has been in place as the WSBA Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP).
“Chas and the JASP made the decision to become part of the LAP program, and to use the LAP rule of confidentiality, APR 19, to fashion DRJ 14. Under Chas’s leadership, DRJ 14 was put in place and the first step toward a functioning judicial assistance program was ready to serve district, municipal and superior court judges.”
Harper said Judge Delaurenti was one of the program’s first peer counselors. “He is always ready to step in and work with a colleague who is experiencing personal or professional difficulties,” Harper said. “My calls to Chas are always returned with a warm inquiry as to ‘What can I do to be of help?’
“Chas is a real asset to a program which has as its focus outreach and a helping hand to judicial officers in need of support. His kindnesses, and generosity of spirit, permeate the good work being done in the JASP.”
Mark Larson is the chief deputy of the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Criminal Division. Judge Robert McSeveney is a Kent Municipal Court judge.
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