Archived Version: August 19, 2008
An information resource for Washington voters
Jim Beecher
Washington Supreme Court
Position Four
Current
Occupation/Employer: Attorney with Hackett, Beecher & Hart.
Education: Graduate of Lewis & Clark High School (Spokane), University of Puget Sound, and University of Washington Law School.
Legal/Judicial Experience: Admitted to practice: State and Federal Courts in Washington, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Served as Judge Pro Tem, Arbitrator, Mediator. Extensive trial experience: Western and Eastern District Federal Courts and 23 counties. Substantial appellate work.
Family: Married to Linda Beecher, 2 children, 1 grandchild.
Significant Career Experience: Before entering private practice served as Prosecutor in Seattle City Attorney's Office and a Senior Trial Attorney in the Office of Attorney General.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: From isolated chambers in Olympia, our Supreme Court Justices affirm or reverse decisions of all other Washington judges and juries and dictate the operating Rules for the State's courts. Litigation is just plain too expensive! These Rules need to be modernized to make pretrial procedures more efficient and to provide for the economies of electronic technology. After 18 years it is time to elect a Justice who actually has had broad, first hand trial experience – someone with knowledge of present day litigation practices across Washington.
EXPERIENCE: Mr. Beecher's experience has uniquely prepared him to understand the needs and concerns of litigants throughout Washington. He has handled many hundreds of cases across our state representing governments, businesses and individuals – in cases as diverse as consumer protection, construction, civil rights, insurance and the environment.
DISTINCTIONS: ● consistently received Martindale's highest rating for legal ability and integrity ● set verdict records in several counties ● elected to membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates ● listed in Best Lawyers in America ● included yearly as a "Super Lawyer" in Washington Law and Politics ● identified in Metropolitan Seattle Magazine as one of the "Best Lawyers in Seattle"
| Questionnaire response: |
For King County Bar Association For Municipal League of King County |
Video Voters' Guide:
| ORGANIZATION |
JAMES BEECHER |
CHARLES JOHNSON |
FRANK VULLIET |
|
Joint Asian Judicial Evaluation Committee |
* |
Exceptionally Well Qualified |
* |
| King County Bar Association | Qualified |
Exceptionally Well Qualified |
Not Qualified |
|
Latina/o Bar Association of Washington |
* |
Exceptionally Well Qualified |
* |
| Loren Miller Bar Asoociation | * |
Exceptionally Well Qualified |
* |
|
Municipal League of King County |
Very Good | Outstanding | Not Qualified |
|
Q-Law: GLBT Bar Asoociaion of Washington |
* | Qualified | * |
|
Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys |
* | Well Qualified | * |
| Washington Women Lawyers |
Exceptionally Well Qualified |
Exceptionally Well Qualified |
* |
Important note! Each of these organizations uses its own standards and rating terms when evaluating candidates; please check their pages for further information. We do not have ratings for candidates with an asterisk (*), and the reasons vary. Some evaluations may still be in process, or we might not have received them yet; some candidates may not have been offered an opportunity to participate, or they may have declined to participate. Again, please check the organizations' pages for further details.
Newspaper endorsements (click paper for details):
| NEWSPAPER |
JIM BEECHER |
CHARLES JOHNSON |
FRANK VULLIET |
| Kitsap Sun |
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| Seattle P-I |
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| Seattle Times |
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| Spokane Spokesman-Review |
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| The Stranger |
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| Tacoma News-Tribune |
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| Vancouver Columbian |
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(Click a dollar figure for detailed data from the
Public Disclosure Commission. Note that summary numbers here might not match
detailed data for various reasons.)
| CANDIDATE | REPORT DATE | CONTRIBUTIONS | EXPENDITURES |
| Charles Johnson | 07/31/2008 | $72,978.98 | $65,802.78 |
| August 12, 2008 | ||
| Seattle Tunes | Decision could be quick in state Supreme Court races | |
| August 10, 2008 | ||
| The Olympian | Campaign trail for August 10 | |
| August 4, 2008 | ||
| The Olympian | It's still a race for 2 spots on top court | |
| August 3, 2008 | ||
| Everett Herald | Unlike 2006, state Supreme Court primary gets little attention from interest groups | |
| June 11, 2008 | ||
| Seattle P-I | Court contenders vow fair fight | |
| June 3, 2008 | ||
| The Olympian | Two state justices plan fair re-runs | |
| May 25, 2008 | ||
| Tacoma News Tribune | Growing rancor a chilling effect on court races | |
| April 7, 2008 | ||
| The Olympian | Few step up to challenge seated justices | |
| March 30, 2008 | ||
| Seattle Times | [Editorial] The highest court merits a deep field | |
| March 17, 2008 | ||
| The Olympian | WA Justice Charles Johnson seeks another high court term | |
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