NorthwestJuly 12, 2008

Magistrate appointed for Latah County
Magistrate appointed for Latah County

MOSCOW - John Judge, a 52-year-old attorney here who said he thrives on a heavy workload, was appointed Friday to be the new magistrate judge in Latah County.

"I know it is a full-on pedal-to-the-metal job," Judge told members of a selection commission during public questioning. "I'm somebody who can deal with volume. That is how I've always worked."

Judge will replace Magistrate William Hamlett, who is retiring Sept. 30.

A University of Idaho Law School graduate, Judge said leaving his private practice will be hard, but he viewed being a judge as the "height of public service." He has practiced law for 24 years in Moscow and is a partner in the firm of Landeck, Westberg, Judge & Graham.

Five finalists, including Judge, Latah County Prosecutor William Thompson, Jr., Deputy Nez Perce County Prosecutor Sandra Dickerson, St. Maries attorney Richard Christensen, and Moscow attorney Jennifer Ewers, were interviewed separately by the 14-member commission. Steven Caylor, trial court administrator for the 2nd Judicial District, asked each candidate the same 19 questions.

Judge, who quipped his motivation stemmed more from a yen for public service than to fulfill his namesake, told the commission members "integrity and moral courage" are core attributes a magistrate must embrace. He said integrity is "doing the right thing when nobody is looking," and moral courage is "doing the right thing when everybody is looking."

Magistrate court, Judge added, is the front line of the judicial system, where people are often introduced for the first time to the courts. "So I think part of the job of the magistrate is to put a face on the judiciary."

Asked about replacing Hamlett, Judge said, "There are some big shoes to fill, for sure. He's done a good job. He's a great judge and he's been doing it a long time."

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Magistrates deal mostly with misdemeanor cases, but also handle felony cases at the initial appearance and preliminary hearing stages.

Judge graduated from the UI law school on Sept. 29, 1984, and started practicing law on Oct. 1 of that year.

Judge confided one of his weaknesses might be he cares too much. "I get very involved with people." He called being a lawyer a "bruising profession" and considers sitting on the bench in judgment of other people an even more daunting task.

His strength, Judge said, is he believes in the judicial system, to the point it has honed his core values. "I've been in over my head plenty of times," Judge said, adding fear is a powerful motivator. He said confiding in peers and mentors has always left him in good stead. "Ask for help early and often, that's my philosophy."

Members of the Magistrate's Commission in attendance included Chairman and District Judge Carl B. Kerrick of Lewiston, Clearwater County Commissioner Don Ebert, Idaho County Commissioner Randy Doman, Latah County Commissioner Tom Stroschein, Lewis County Commissioner Charles Doty, Nez Perce County Commissioner Ron Wittman, Magistrate Gregory Kalbfleisch of Lewiston, Weippe Mayor Norm Steadman, Lewiston Mayor Doug Havens, Moscow attorney Charles Kovis, Lewiston attorney Anthony Anegon, and residents-at-large Ferris Paisano of Lapwai and Robert Coleman, Jr., of Lewiston.

While questioning of the candidates was open to the public, selection deliberations were behind closed doors at the Latah County Courthouse. Judge's announcement was made by Caylor around 3:45 p.m.

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Johnson may be contacted at deveryone@potlatch.com or (208) 883-0564.

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