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Candidates vie for grueling job; Ford challenges Hunt for Court of Appeals

By Jim Casey, Peninsula Daily News

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PORT ANGELES — Candidates for a rarely contested seat on the state District 2 Court of Appeals answered questions at a forum sponsored by the Clallam County Bar Association.

J. Robin Hunt, who has been on the state appellate court for District 2 since 1997, defended her record against challenger Tim Ford.

Two-dozen people attended the forum in the city council chambers of Port Angeles City Hall on Friday.

The 90-minute session followed a question-and-answer format moderated by attorney Carol Mortensen.

Ford criticized some of Hunt's decisions, and Hunt invited anyone to inspect her record.

A good place to start would be the Web site, www.votingforjudges.org, she said.

Reversed or remanded?
Among the cases Ford cited were Tacoma Public Library v. Woessner, in which the state Supreme Court remanded Hunt's decision that the library must disclose employees' information except for their Social Security numbers.

Ford said the high court had reversed Hunt, but she said it only had remanded it to assign attorney's fees to one side or the other.

Another case that Ford criticized was one where a defendant had pleaded guilty to two charges, then backed out of the bargain — only to be slammed with 30 more charges that Hunt called a vindictive prosecution.

"I'm a Norm Maleng-trained prosecutor," she said, referring to the late King County Prosecuting Attorney she served for seven years.

Maleng, she said, stressed fairness in justice, and piling on charges that resulted in a 100-plus-year sentence "was extremely unjust."

Stressed their strengths
Hunt and Ford mostly stressed their own strengths during the forum.

Hunt was the heavyweight in terms of legal and judicial experience.

Ford, a former Navy helicopter pilot, practiced law alone, then, served four years as counsel to the Building Industry Association of Washington.

In 2005 he became a deputy solicitor general for Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna.

He presently is McKenna's open-government ombudsman.

Ford spoke of his commitment to government transparency but not of his service to the BIAW.

The trade association campaigned hard against state Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry Alexander in 2006.

Alexander, who won, has endorsed Hunt.

Ford said his campaign is separate from the builders association.

"I'm my own candidate, and if I win or lose, I only have myself to blame," Ford said.

If the association runs ads on his behalf, "I don't want to hear about it," he said.

Some of the questions asked of Hunt and Ford, their answers include:

Oral arguments
  • Hunt: She has argued more than 50 cases to higher courts, most of them in the District 1 Court of Appeals that includes King County, where she was a prosecutor.

  • Ford: Admitted he has less experience, but said preparing briefs for appellate judges was more important because they lay the foundations for later oral presentations.

    Special interests
  • Hunt: "The only promise I have made is to follow the laws of the state and federal government. I have not made and will not make any promises to special interests."

  • Ford: "Advertising is free speech, and it's constitutionally protected free speech. It's part of politics. In our American culture, sometimes we don't like what we see on TV. We hold our nose and vote for the next candidate."

    Impartial decisions
  • Hunt: She has judged at least 3,000 cases at the District 2 Court of Appeals, plus five as a substitute state Supreme Court judge.

    She also served 12 years as a hearing examiner in Kitsap County.

  • Ford: As open government ombudsman, he is asked for opinion letters of "technical guidance" to help local governments avoid violating open meeting legislation.

    He also has reviewed legal questions as Solicitor General.

    Criminal law
  • Hunt: She worked her way through law school as a clerk for a public defender. Criminal appeals account for 60 percent of District 2 appeals.

  • Ford: "It's not vital that you have a criminal background." Most state Supreme Court justices, he said, have little or no criminal case experience.

    Conflicts of interest
  • Hunt: "I've had a number of situations where I've either recused or had to set aside personal views."

    One of her recusals involved adoption; Hunt and her husband adopted their youngest son.

  • Ford: "You look, you do our research, you come up with the most sound decisions you can."

    Partisan politics
  • Hunt: In judicial contests, "I think it is becoming more of a problem. I hope we can nip it in the bud with the Committee for Ethical Campaign Practices.'

  • Ford: "Your right to vote for judges is constitutionally protected. But when decisions come down from the Court of Appeals, they are not partisan decisions."

    Clean campaigns
  • Hunt: "I was the very first judge to sign" a pledge for clean campaigning, which she called "a good step in the right direction."

  • Ford: "I also signed the pledge" after thinking about it for a long time.

    "When you're talking about advertising, you talk about free speech."

    Closing comments
  • Hunt: "I invite you to look up any of the cases I've written."

    She has been endorsed by seven of the nine current state Supreme Court justices and rated "exceptionally well qualified" by the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.

  • Ford: "I'm running because I think the courts need to be accountable.

    "I don't care who comes before my court, I'm going to follow the law and enforce the constitution."

    More information on both candidates is available from their Web sites, www.reelectjudgehunt.com and www.timford2008.com.

    ________
    Reporter Jim Casey can be reached at 360-417-3538 or at jim.casey@peninsuladailynews.com.

    Last modified: June 21. 2008 9:00PM
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