As director of the Snohomish County Office of Public Defense, I am proud of the work public defenders do for the accused and underprivileged. It is from that place that I concernedly write about representations made by Anna Alexander, candidate for judge.
I have known this candidate as Anna Goykhman for the 12 years I worked as a public defender. She had a successful career representing the accused as a public defender and as a for-profit defense attorney. Her advocacy for those accused of sex crimes and domstic violence offenses is well-known.
However, Ms. Goykhman/Alexander now claims in campaign mailings that she is a “former prosecutor” and civil lawyer completely omitting her important work as a public defender. She was hired as a public defender out of law school. Her prosecutorial experience was strictly limited to a brief period as a student intern. Her online profile shows that her work is devoted exclusively to criminal defense.
Public defenders give voice to the underprivileged and serve as a check on government overreach; without these public servants, the court could not function. So it concerns me when a judicial candidate who will hear criminal cases changes her name and resume retreating from the important work of defending the accused.
Misleading voters is unacceptable. If judges must be anything, it is honest and fair, which is why I am joining other lawyers and judges in supporting Judge Edirin Okoloko.
He is a man of integrity whose resume speaks for itself. He deserves your vote.
Jason Schwarz
Seattle
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