Judge Kristin Shotwell

Following 23 years of professional experience in the criminal justice and social services systems, Judge Shotwell was appointed to the King County District Court bench in 2021. She was then elected in 2022.

As an attorney, Judge Shotwell served as a public defender, trial attorney and attorney supervisor for civil commitments and felonies.

Throughout her career, Judge Shotwell has been committed to reducing criminal recidivism to improve the lives of individual people as well as to support healthier communities.

Judge Shotwell earned a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Hawai’i Law School, where she was valedictorian; a master’s in social work from the University of Washington; and a B.A. in psychology from Yale University.

She has been a state-certified Spanish language interpreter for more than 25 years.