Seattle Times

Endorsements

Bradshaw, Garratt and Rietschel for
King County Superior Court

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 — King County voters will choose three judges still in contested races for King County Superior Court Nov. 4. All the remaining candidates are good, but in each case our pick is the one we thought had an edge.

Trial-court experience is crucial for a Superior Court judge, and prosecutor Tim Bradshaw, 52, has a lot of it: 125 Superior Court jury trials, far more than his opponent for Position 1, Assistant Attorney General Sue Parisien.

Much of Bradshaw's work is in criminal law, including the homicide unit and the cold-case team. Bradshaw is rated "extremely well qualified" by the King County Bar Association and colleagues speak well of him. He has had many dealings with the press and is considered a straight shooter. His calm manner will serve him well in the courtroom. We endorse Bradshaw.

Julia Garratt, 54, has been a Superior Court judge pro tem since 1998, and during that time has tried more than 45 cases to a verdict. She is a longtime member of the state Parole Board, which has jurisdiction over sex offenders. She has been a prosecutor and a public defender.

Her Position 22 opponent, Holly Hill, has been a lecturer at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, giving her a big-picture overview of courtroom issues, but Garratt has more recent experience on the ground. Garratt has a precise, technocratic manner that will brook no nonsense. We endorse Garratt.

The race for Position 37 pits Jean Rietschel, 58, against Barbara Mack. Rietschel has been a judge for 12 years at Seattle Municipal Court, working on family law, juvenile cases and drug cases. Before that, she was a public defender. She is rated "exceptionally well qualified" by the King County Bar, and "outstanding" by the Municipal League.

Her opponent, Mack, was a prosecutor for 22 years after being an undersecretary of the Interior in the Carter administration. We like both candidates, but sense in Rietschel a toughness that gives us confidence she could control any courtroom. We endorse Rietschel.

VotingforJudges.org, P.O. Box 1460, Silverdale, WA  98383
Write to [email protected].

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