EVERETT — The retirement of a longtime Snohomish County Superior Court judge has left the door open for three attorneys to grab a seat on the bench.

The judicial race may turn out to be one of the most-watched county contests during this month’s primary. At the very least, it’s hard to miss the barrage of campaigns signs around the county for George Appel, Jim Johanson and Joe Wilson.

Judge Richard Thorpe plans to retire at the end of the year, leaving open Snohomish County Superior Court judge, Position 6. The top two vote-getters in the Aug. 19 primary will move on to the general election in November.

All three candidates are experienced attorneys. One says his years of trial work set him apart from his opponents, while the other two candidates say what they’ve done outside the courtroom gives them the advantage.

George Appel

Appel, 42, of Marysville, has spent his law career as a criminal prosecutor. Raised in Seattle, he returned to the area after graduating from law school in California.

He was hired in 1994 to the Snohomish County prosecutor’s office, where he is a senior deputy prosecutor.

Appel said he’s worked in the various units in the office. He’s prosecuted homicides, rapes, and drug and theft cases. He also worked in the office’s appeals unit and argued cases in the state Court of Appeals.

Appel has worked in the county’s district courts, prosecuting misdemeanors such as drunken driving. He’s been assigned to the office’s domestic violence unit since January 2007.

The deputy prosecutor said his expansive trial experience makes him the most qualified for the position.

“I’ve argued court procedure and rules of evidence in the very court I want to serve as judge,” he said. “I’m quite sure I’ve tried more jury cases than either of them.”

Appel said he has the work ethic and demeanor to serve on the bench.

“I think the support I have from law enforcement and victim advocates and fellow lawyers and judges all bear that out,” he said.

Appel is endorsed by the Snohomish County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and other police and fire unions around the county. He also is supported by state Attorney General Rob McKenna and County Prosecutor Janice Ellis. Both have spoken at Appel’s campaign events.

The deputy prosecutor topped Johanson and Wilson in the Snohomish County Bar Association poll last month. He also earned high marks in other voluntary judicial evaluations.

Appel said he believes in working hard and following the law.

“For 15 years I’ve watched people make decisions. Whatever the parties argue, it comes down to the decision maker,” he said. “That person’s job winds up being the most important. It’s important to me.”

Jim Johanson

Johanson, 52, of Edmonds, has spent most of his law career in private practice. He owns an Edmonds law office, where the majority of his work is civil litigation, including personal injury, real estate and probate.

He worked one year as a deputy prosecutor in Pierce County and a year as a deputy prosecutor in King County, Johanson said. He also was the assistant city attorney for Lynnwood for a year.

Johanson grew up in south Snohomish County and attended the University of Puget Sound law school.

He was elected in 1992 to one term as a state legislator for the 44th District in Snohomish County. He served on the House judiciary, transportation and energy and utilities committees.

He opened his own law practice in 1995 after he was defeated in a bid for re-election to the Legislature.

Johanson said his broad experience makes him the most qualified candidate to fill the open seat on the bench.

“I’ve been a prosecutor and legislator. I’ve written and passed laws and now I practice private law in every area of law any Superior Court judge would” be needed, he said.

Johanson said as a legislator he made tough decisions. He also learned the value of being a good listener, a quality of an effective judge, he said.

“It’s very important to give people their day in court. You need to explain how you reached your decision,” Johanson said. “People may not agree but they’ll feel like they got their day in court.”

Johanson has endorsements from former Washington governors, along with a number of state senators and representatives. He also has endorsements from County Executive Aaron Reardon and Sheriff John Lovick.

He said he will be a firm but fair judge who follows the law. Johanson also said he believes he would bring more needed diversity to the bench. His grandmother is Panamanian.

Johanson in 1997 found himself in court over a failed romantic relationship with a woman whom he was dating before becoming her attorney. She sought an anti-harassment protection order against him after he left her phone messages she found threatening, records show.

In one message, which was later played in court, Johanson told the woman he had tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease, and that she needed to return his call.

Johanson represented himself in court. He denied making threats, and initially told Commissioner Paul Moon he hadn’t left that message.

Moon said he found Johanson’s testimony false and warned the lawyer he was under oath. He also ordered Johanson to stay away from the woman.

“I respected the order. I didn’t violate it,” Johanson said. “There was no criminal charge out of it. There is no bad blood between us. I respect her privacy.”

Joe Wilson

Wilson, 47, of Everett, opened his own law practice in 1995. He grew up in Everett and his father was a Superior Court judge here.

Wilson attended law school at Gonzaga University in Spokane. He was a bailiff in the state Court of Appeals in Eastern Washington. He later was a law clerk for Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Larry McKeeman.

Wilson said his practice is varied, including family law, criminal defense, real estate and probate work.

“I’m a throwback. I take whatever strikes my fancy. Whatever I believe in, I do,” he said.

Wilson said he has years of legal experience, and it’s his work in the community that sets him apart from his opponents, he said.

He’s volunteered since 1996 with Snohomish County Legal Services, providing legal counsel to low-income clients. He also was the first male board member of the Center for Battered Women. He serves on the feasibility committee for Dawson Place, a child advocacy center.

“No one else has the broad-based, verifiable experience I do,” Wilson said. “I haven’t fluffed up my resume to run. I’ve had a long-term commitment to the community.”

“I have a lot of responsibility to the Snohomish County bench,” Wilson said. “It’s personal to me.”

Wilson has endorsements from the majority of the current Superior Court bench. He also is being endorsed by Sheriff John Lovick and Snohomish County Democrats.

Wilson said his life experiences also have prepared him for the bench.

He’s worked as a janitor, painted Everett city trucks, sold ice cream cones at Dairy Queen and worked on a fishing boat and in a morgue, he said.

“In my mind it gives me a broad understanding of my community and human nature,” Wilson said. “All these life experiences are a foundation of knowledge as you’re judging people in your community. That’s needed by a judge.”

Wilson said from what he has seen over the years, the good judges have broad experience outside the courtroom. They know what it’s like to be fired from a job once or twice or run a business and not have any health insurance, he said.

“I know the rules, but a judge is not just a technician,” Wilson said. “A good judge is a learner in many areas, including human nature.”

Wilson includes his own past run-ins with the law as life experience. He was charged in 1980 with reckless driving. He was convicted of drunken driving in 1984 and 1986 and served a brief jail sentence. He also was charged with drunken driving in 1995, a case which eventually led to a reckless driving conviction.

Wilson said he realized he was going down the wrong path.

“Although I regret it, I’m not ashamed of it,” he said. “I think it gives me a better understanding of human weakness. If you don’t believe in second chances, you shouldn’t be in the criminal justice system.”

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.

Meet the candidates

George Appel

Age: 42

Hometown: Marysville

Experience: Snohomish County deputy prosecutor

Jim Johanson

Age: 52

Hometown: Edmonds

Experience: General practice attorney; state representative; Pierce and King County deputy prosecutor

Joe Wilson

Age: 47

Hometown: Everett

Experience: General practice attorney; law clerk; bailiff