Aloha from King County Superior Court. My term as Presiding Judge ends at the beginning of 2024, and this will be my final PJ column.
Last month we celebrated the formal investiture of Judge Paul Crisalli. Judge Crisalli was robed by his children and father-in-law with a special robe. The robe belonged to Judge James Lawless (father of Judge Crisalli’s father-in-law), who was a superior court judge for Franklin-Benton Counties. The WA Judges Foundation has a scholarship named in honor of Judge Lawless. The Lawless family was honored to pass this special robe to Judge Crisalli. Judge Crisalli was sworn in by Washington Supreme Court Justice Debra Stephens, who also provided comments welcoming Judge Crisalli to the bench. This was a wonderful event for Judge Crisalli, his family, the Court, and the community.
The Court is facing unprecedented changes. Our bench, similar to the bench across the state, is changing rapidly. 50% of our judges joined the bench in 2018 or later. Whereas only ten of our judges have been on the bench for ten or more years. Much of this rapid change is likely attributable to “baby boomers” moving into retirement. But despite so much change, our bench remains strong and anchored by judges who have intellectual acumen and curiosity, zeal for working hard, and a commitment to serving the Court, litigants, and public.
As we move into 2024, a number of Court leadership changes are on the horizon. Assistant Presiding Judge Ketu Shah will step forward as Presiding Judge in 2024. Thank you to Judge Shah for his service as Assistant Presiding Judge. In a previous column, I spoke about Judge Shah. He is a very talented and committed judicial leader, and the Court will be in good hands under his leadership!
A special Mahalo to Judge Mary Roberts, who previously served as Assistant Presiding Judge during my PJ tenure. I could not have done my work as PJ without the support of Judge Roberts and Judge Shah.
Judge Averil Rothrock will serve as Assistant Presiding Judge in 2024.
Thank you to our outgoing Chief Judges: Chief Civil Judge Tanya Thorp, Chief Criminal Judge Ketu Shah, Chief UFC Judge Sean O’Donnell, and Chief CCFJC Judge Melinda Young. Each of these Chief Judges has done an outstanding job leading their respective departments and providing administrative expertise. Mahalo for your leadership!
Congratulations to our incoming Chief Judges: Chief Civil Judge Michael Scott, Chief Criminal Judge Melinda Young, Chief UFC Judge Aimee Sutton, Chief CCFJC Judge Veronica Galvan, and Chief MRJC Judge Johanna Bender (serving her second year). Mahalo for stepping up to assume critical leadership positions on the Court.
King County is facing a significant budget shortfall impacting the County’s general fund in the coming years. For 2024–2025, Superior Court has been assigned a 7% ($4,000,000) budget reduction, and Department of Judicial Administration (a/k/a Clerk’s Office) has been assigned a 11% ($2,000,000) budget reduction. These cuts are substantial and will impact litigants, counsel, and sadly, the most vulnerable populations we serve. As a separate branch of government, it is critical that the judicial branch is properly funded. Without adequate funding, access to justice will be adversely impacted in significant ways.
During my 2022–2023 PJ term much has occurred. In early 2022, we suspended jury trials due to the Omicron variant. Thankfully, we bounced back from that episode and have not faced another trial shutdown. The Court was able to rescind our mandatory masking policy, but judges, staff, attorneys, and others are still welcome to wear masks as they see fit. We have made significant strides in reducing our criminal case backlog. Our use of technology has continued in a robust fashion. We continue to use remote jury selection, many civil motions and bench trials are heard remotely, and some of our civil trials are heard remotely or in a hybrid fashion. Twelve new judges have come to the bench. City Hall Park reopened next door to the King County Courthouse. The Court developed and adopted a new strategic plan that will inform and guide our work for the next five years. In response to legislative changes, the Court implemented a Protection Order Pilot Project. We hosted a successful “Take Your Legislator to Work Day.” The Court returned to hosting large in-person new attorney swearing-in ceremonies in the PJ courtroom.
It has been my honor and pleasure to serve the Court and the public as King County Superior Court Presiding Judge in 2022–23. There is historical and diversity significance that goes with being the first PJ of color to serve in this role since the Honorable Charles V. Johnson did so thirty years ago. I cannot hold a candle to Judge Johnson, who was one of the greatest judges to serve on our Court. But yet, I am proud that the Presiding Judge of King County Superior Court in 2022–23 reflected the abundant diversity of our community.
It has been my honor to work closely with the other separate branches of government. To my colleagues in the Executive’s Office and on the County Council, thank you for your collegiality and collaboration in tackling many challenging issues.
A huge Mahalo to Chief Administrative Officer Linda Ridge and her Court Administration team. They helped guide the Court through challenging times.
Thank you to our dedicated bailiffs and staff for their dedication and hard work. You are truly the glue that holds the Court together.
To our judges and commissioners, Mahalo for your commitment to our Court and the public we serve.
I wish each of you and your loved ones a happy, healthy holiday season filled with joy and Aloha!
For those of you who practice Family Law, I’ll see you in court in 2024.
