Eight Snohomish County lawyers have sent their names to Gov. Gary Locke seeking appointment as a Snohomish County Superior Court judge to replace veteran jurist Joseph Thibodeau.
The eight now will go before a review of their peers in a county bar poll that will be mailed out early next week, said Joyce Wood, association executive director. She said the ballots must be returned by Jan. 5.
County lawyers will rate the candidates from "excellent" to "unknown," and pick their top three choices.
In addition, both members of the governor’s staff and Locke himself are expected to interview the candidates. Locke can follow the results of the bar poll or not.
The eight include two veteran deputy prosecutors, a District Court judge, an environmental hearings officer, a Superior Court commissioner, an assistant city attorney and two lawyers in private practice. There’s one woman in the mix.
The governor hopes to make an appointment later in January to replace Thibodeau, who served 18 years on the county bench and a total of 33 years in judicial roles. The appointee will have to stand for election in November to earn a four-year term.
Here’s a brief look at the applicants:
Jacalyn Brudvik, 50, of Everett: She’s been a Superior Court commissioner for five years, and previously taught special education and worked as a public defender for 13 years in King and Snohomish counties. Among other community activities, twice a year she trains volunteer mediators in family law.
Peter Camp, 47, of Bothell: He’s an Everett assistant attorney with 23 years as a sole practitioner, in small and large law firms, and in government. He says he has tried long cases that have continued for four months and those that have lasted half a day. He donates his services to Snohomish County Legal Services and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals cases.
Michael Downes, 51, of Everett: An assistant chief criminal deputy prosecutor, Downes has appeared in Snohomish County Superior Court for more than 20 years. His duties include supervision and trial work. Downes currently is handling a major homicide case involving eight defendants accused of killing a young Marysville woman, Rachel Burkheimer, in 2002.
Stephen Dwyer, 46, of Edmonds: A judge in the south division of Snohomish County District Court, Dwyer was named judge of the year in 2001 by the Washington Trial Lawyers Association. He also was named 2003’s outstanding judge by the Washington State Bar Association. He is a former Edmonds City Council member.
Geoffrey Gibbs, 55, of Everett: He’s in private practice in Everett and has worked as a judge and a commissioner pro tem in Superior Court and District Court. He’s also served as a court-appointed arbitrator. He has been a lawyer for 25 years and has handled most kinds of civil cases and many varieties of criminal cases.
David Kurtz, 50, of Everett: He’s now the lead deputy prosecutor in Snohomish County Juvenile Court. A former president of the county bar group, Kurtz has completed more than 100 felony jury trials as a prosecutor, and has spent time as a supervisor in the prosecutor’s office.
Eric Lucas, 49, of Everett: He now is an administrative appeals judge for the state Boards of the Environmental Hearings Office. He has written 29 legal opinions and has mediated several cases. Prior to his appointment, Lucas served for 11 years as city attorney for Langley on Whidbey Island. During two of those years, he also was Langley’s city administrator.
Richard Okrent, 47, of Mukilteo: He’s in private practice in Everett, primarily representing children, the indigent, victims of domestic violence and grandparents trying to protect children. Okrent is a former Island County deputy prosecutor and has worked in the Snohomish County Family Law Division.
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
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