Lynnwood residents get to vote for next Municipal Court judge

Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 6, 2023

LYNNWOOD — Voters will now choose the next Lynnwood Municipal Court judge.

In late March, the Lynnwood City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to change the position from a part-time appointed position to a full-time elected position.

State law mandates voters must elect any judge who works 35 or more hours per week. Over the past several years, Lynnwood Municipal Court case filings have increased, placing a higher demand on judicial hours, city spokesperson Nathan MacDonald said.

Even with the court improving its processes and becoming more efficient, such as going paperless, the demand for judicial hours increased and a full-time elected judge was necessary, Assistant City Administrator Julie Moore said. In 2013, the court’s annual case load was 31,295. This year, the court is expected to exceed 50,000 cases.

The 2022 salary for a Lynnwood Municipal Court Judge was $174,102 before the ordinance, MacDonald said. According to state law, the city has to adjust the amount to equal the salary of a Washington District Court Judge, which will be $206,988 by July 1.

The Community Justice Center — a new Lynnwood jail and police department with a behavioral health wing — includes two courtrooms, MacDonald said. The full-time position would make a community court possible, which is an alternative “problem-solving” court seeking to help people break out of the criminal justice cycle.

Registered Lynnwood voters can choose who occupies the new position during the August primary election and the November general election, according to city officials. The newly elected judge will take the bench Jan. 1.

The current Lynnwood Municipal Court Judge Valerie Bouffiou , appointed in 2021, told city officials she intends to run for the newly elected position.

Jonathan Tall: 425-339-3486; jonathan.tall@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EDHJonTall.