Everett Herald

October 19, 2014 — Back in the mid-'70s, you could count on the Owl Party to at least provide some entertainment value in the state voter's guide.

The Owl Party, born in an Olympia nightclub, ran a slate of tongue-in-cheek candidates for state offices, promising “Out With Logic, On With Lunacy.” The Owl Party hooted its last a long time ago, but what look like tongue-in-cheek candidates still surface from time to time.

This year they've perched in two races for the state Supreme Court.

John “Zamboni” Scannell is running against Justice Debra L. Stephens, who is seeking her second six-year term. And Eddie Yoon is running against Associate Chief Justice Charles W. Johnson, who joined the court in 1991 and is its longest serving jurist.

In his statement in the state voter's guide, Yoon makes the odd claim that he's the first Korean-American attorney in the Northwest and recently advised The Stranger's election team to smell their urine for health purposes. When not running for Supreme Court, Yoon lives in South Korea, where he is a law professor at a women's college in Seoul, where he also helps his wife run a small hotel.

Scannell, who came by his nickname because he drove the ice-conditioning machine at Seattle Thunderbird hockey games, was disbarred in 2010 by the state Supreme Court, the same court he seeks to join, for obstructing the state bar association's conflict-of-interest investigation regarding his representation of a husband and wife charged with theft.

We could fault Stephens, who earned her law degree from Gonzaga and is the court's only Eastern Washington representative, for some of her decisions regarding open government issues, but she has broad and well-earned support from fellow judges, attorneys, officials and others.

Johnson, whose libertarian streak can send him off in unpredictable directions when it comes to civil rights and public records cases, has nonetheless demonstrated a commitment to government accountability and personal liberties.

It goes without saying The Herald Editorial Board endorses Stephens and Johnson.

	General Election: November 4, 2014 An information resource for Washington voters

	Everett Herald Endorsements
	Retain Stephens and Johnson on high court October 19, 2014 — Back in the mid-'70s, you could count on the Owl Party to at least provide some entertainment value in the state voter's guide. The Owl Party, born in an Olympia nightclub, ran a slate of tongue-in-cheek candidates for state offices, promising “Out With Logic, On With Lunacy.” The Owl Party hooted its last a long time ago, but what look like tongue-in-cheek candidates still surface from time to time. This year they've perched in two races for the state Supreme Court. John “Zamboni” Scannell is running against Justice Debra L. Stephens, who is seeking her second six-year term. And Eddie Yoon is running against Associate Chief Justice Charles W. Johnson, who joined the court in 1991 and is its longest serving jurist. In his statement in the state voter's guide, Yoon makes the odd claim that he's the first Korean-American attorney in the Northwest and recently advised The Stranger's election team to smell their urine for health purposes. When not running for Supreme Court, Yoon lives in South Korea, where he is a law professor at a women's college in Seoul, where he also helps his wife run a small hotel. Scannell, who came by his nickname because he drove the ice-conditioning machine at Seattle Thunderbird hockey games, was disbarred in 2010 by the state Supreme Court, the same court he seeks to join, for obstructing the state bar association's conflict-of-interest investigation regarding his representation of a husband and wife charged with theft. We could fault Stephens, who earned her law degree from Gonzaga and is the court's only Eastern Washington representative, for some of her decisions regarding open government issues, but she has broad and well-earned support from fellow judges, attorneys, officials and others. Johnson, whose libertarian streak can send him off in unpredictable directions when it comes to civil rights and public records cases, has nonetheless demonstrated a commitment to government accountability and personal liberties. It goes without saying The Herald Editorial Board endorses Stephens and Johnson.
	VotingforJudges.org, P.O. Box 1460, Silverdale, WA 98383 Write to [email protected]. As the election approaches, Votingforjudges.org will include ratings and endorsements from numerous organizations. We provide this information so that voters will be better informed about the candidates. We do not rate or endorse any candidates; the ratings and endorsements of organizations included at this site reflect the views of those individual organizations and not necessarily the views of votingforjudges.org or its sponsors.

General Election: November 4, 2014

Endorsements

Retain Stephens and Johnson on high court