One elected official who won’t be seeking another term in office this year is District Court Judge Mark Huth, who announced April 12 that he will step down from the bench when his second term ends Dec. 31.
Huth, 53, said Tuesday that he would “probably go back to private practice,” but he’s also thought about teaching, perhaps at the high school level.
Huth made it clear that he has no plans to run for superior court judge in 2008. “One should only challenge an incumbent when they’re not doing the job,” he said of current Judge Craddock Verser.
Huth earned his law degree at University of Washington when he was 35. After engaging in private practice, he was appointed Jefferson County prosecutor in 1991 and was elected to the three-year balance of what had been John Raymond’s term the same year; he did not seek re-election.
Huth was elected District Court judge in 1998 and again in 2002.
Huth said he’s pleased with what he’s accomplished as a judge, but the position can be a bit too routine for someone with a “restless mind.”
Routine or not, Huth said that his public service has been “very gratifying,” especially when people stop to thank him for how he handled a particular case.
Huth said he’s tried to shift the focus of the court from an adversarial arena into a problem-solving mode.
Huth is proud of establishing a drug and alcohol court in District Court. That may not have made a huge dent in crime statistics, he said, but it offers hope to those who seek to deal with substance abuse issues instead of simply going to jail. “Very few people return,” he said of those who succeed in the program.
In addition to misdemeanor crimes, traffic tickets and some civil matters, District Court is also where many domestic violence cases are tried. “It’s still a deeply-rooted problem in our community and in our culture,” Huth said.
Candidates
So far, none of the three dozen or so attorneys practicing here has announced firm plans to succeed Huth.
But one of the three judge pro tems who sit in for Huth when he recuses himself from a case or is unavailable is at least thinking about it.
“I have been considering it, said Matthew Clucas, 38. He practices criminal and civil law in Silverdale and serves as a judge pro tem here and in Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, Port Orchard and Bremerton.
He and his wife have been thinking about moving to Jefferson County, said Clucas, but he regrets that Huth is not running again. “He’s just an excellent judge,” he said.
Another judge pro tem, Jim Bendell, said, “Oh gosh, it’s too early. I’ll give it some thought, though.” Bendell, 55, has a private practice in Port Townsend where he handles civil matters.
The third judge pro tem, Richard Shaneyfelt, said he is definitely not interested in the job.
“Right now I’m not planning on it,” said Keith Harper, a private attorney who serves as the City of Port Townsend’s prosecutor. “Certain things could change my mind,” he added. Harper ran for Jefferson County Superior Court judge in 2000.
Chuck Henry, who sought appointment to Superior Court when Judge Thomas J. Majhan died suddenly in 2004, said, “I haven’t given it any thought.” He also ran for Superior Court judge in 2000.
Asked if he was interested, Ben Critchlow replied, “I think Scott Charlton would make a fine District Court judge.”
“I don’t know,” said Charlton, explaining that he and Critchlow have been trying to draft Richard Davies. All three work full- or part-time for Jefferson Associate Counsel, the firm that provides public defender services in Jefferson County.
“We might have to draw straws,” Charlton mused.
“I don’t really want to be the vice principal of the town,” said Davies, who has handled some of the most serious felony cases in recent years.
Other lawyers contacted by The Leader who said they are definitely not interested in becoming judge include Ted DeBray, Harry Holloway, Peggy Ann Bierbaum, and Prosecutor Juelie Dalzell.
Advice to successor
Judge Huth is prohibited from commenting on whom he might want to see take his place. Whoever is elected, Huth’s advice is that he or she not take the job home at night.
Huth said he has also benefited from the advice of both Majhan and his Superior Court predecessor, Bill Howard. “Set standards for what you believe is right and adhere to those things as strictly as possible,” he said.
Attorneys are zealous advocates, Huth said, so it’s important that a judge not be unduly swayed by argument or circumstances, which could result in widely varying outcomes from the judicial process.
The hardest part of presiding of a courtroom where actions on as many as 50 cases might be heard in a single day, Judge Huth said, is making sure that each case is viewed individually and not part of an assembly line. He credits his staff for keeping up with the press of cases in what was once a part-time judgeship. Likening them to family, Huth said leaving his staff was the hardest part of his decision.
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