Three lawyers appear to have risen to the top of the list of candidates seeking a vacant District Court judge position in Lynnwood.
The trio finished tops in a poll of county lawyers that went to the Snohomish County Council on Tuesday. The same three were rated "well qualified" by the county chapter of Washington Women Lawyers following an evaluation Monday.
The council will pick from applicants for the post to replace Steve Dwyer, who last month started duties as a Snohomish County Superior Court judge.
The council is expected to interview at least the top three candidates and make a decision next week, possibly as early as Monday, said John Chelminiak, council chief of staff.
The council is not obligated to pick one of the top finalists.
In order, the top candidates in the county bar poll were: Douglas Fair, a former deputy prosecutor; Beth Fraser Cullen, administrator of the office that decides if indigent defendants can get a free lawyer; and Jeffrey Goodwin, a city prosecutor.
All three are Edmonds residents.
South District Court normally has three judges, but has been filling the gap with temporary judges since Dwyer’s departure.
Fair topped the bar poll results, which gave points to the candidates for evaluations that ranged from "excellent" to "unknown."
Fair finished with 184 points to Cullen’s 146 and Goodwin’s 113. Behind them came Peter Camp (50), Vernon Moyers Jr. (44), Cheryl Beyer (26) and Michael Hall (13).
In the Washington Women Lawyers’ evaluation, Beyer and Camp were rated as "qualified" and Hall "not qualified." Moyers did not appear before the group and was not evaluated.
Fair also is a member of the Edmonds School Board. His wife, Ellen Fair, is a Superior Court judge. Cullen is a former public defender and Goodwin works for a law firm that supplies prosecuting attorney and city attorney services to municipalities. He also has served as a temporary judge in South District Court.
Gov. Gary Locke elevated Dwyer to the Superior Court post Dec. 23, creating the District Court vacancy. By law, the County Council fills District Court positions.
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
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