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Judge David Whedbee - Superior Court
- Courtroom Number: E-201
- Judicial Clerk Bailiff: Gabby Jacobsen
- Department: 1
- Assignment: Civil
Biography
Judge David Whedbee joined the King County Superior Court bench on September 16, 2019, after Governor Jay Inslee appointed him to the position previously held by Judge Timothy Bradshaw.
Before joining the bench, Judge Whedbee worked for 12 years as a civil rights lawyer representing clients in civil claims and criminal matters, in state and federal courts, at the trial and appellate levels. He focused on constitutional claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983; tort litigation; disability, employment and criminal law; and government transparency and accountability. During this time, he was also a board member and cooperating attorney for the ACLU of Washington, and in 2018 was named Washington’s representative to the ACLU’s National Board.
After graduating from the University of Washington School of Law in 2004, Judge Whedbee served as a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Helen G. Berrigan in the Eastern District of Louisiana and Judge Ronald M. Gould in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. During law school, he also was a judicial extern for U.S. District Court Judge Marsha J. Pechman of the Western District of Washington.
Judge Whedbee has been a resident of Seattle since 1991 after graduating from Pomona College magna cum laude with a degree in French and German literature and being recognized as an All-American scholar-athlete in soccer. Judge Whedbee spent several years working with a local immigration lawyer as a paralegal in the 1990s, with a focus on preparing asylum claims for French-speaking Africans among many others from diverse nationalities. An avid record collector, he also worked in alternative radio for the local pioneering station KCMU. In 1997, Judge Whedbee obtained a Master’s Degree in international history from the London School of Economics, concentrating on post-WW II independence movements and French decolonization.
Judge Whedbee, a paraplegic after a rock climbing accident in 1997, served as the co-chair of the nascent Disability Law Section of the Federal Bar Association before his appointment. Now on the bench, Judge Whedbee is eager to improve access to Washington courts, physical and otherwise. He serves on the Courts and Community and Local Rules Committees.
Judge Whedbee is honored to share the bench with his esteemed and tireless colleagues, in the service of the people of King County.
Requests
Do not email Judge Whedbee directly. All correspondence must go through the bailiff.
The bailiff does not forward any communication with counsel/parties to the judge. Even if all parties are included on the email, this is considered ex parte communication with the judge and is not permitted.
Learn more about King County Superior Court’s policies regarding emailing with the court
Stipulated Orders
All stipulated orders, including agreed orders to continue a trial date, must be submitted through e-working copies or via the judge's mailroom. Stipulated orders are not accepted via email.
Working Copies
Judge Whedbee prefers hard copy working copies and will not accept emailed electronic working copies, unless specifically requested.
You may submit hard copy working copies by delivery to the Judge’s Mailroom on the second floor of the King County Courthouse in Seattle, Room C-203, marked ATTN: Judge Whedbee. In the alternative, you may submit working copies via the E-Working Copies service via the Clerk’s Office and they will print and deliver the working copies to this court. There is a fee associated with the E-Working Copies service.
Non-dispositive motions
You must follow KCLR 7 when setting motions without oral argument. All non-dispositive motions are considered by the Court without oral argument. The Court or a party in the case may request oral argument. If you wish to request oral argument, please state on the front page of your motion or opposition. The judge decides whether the case needs oral argument. They review the case on the date noted for hearing without oral argument. If oral argument is needed, the bailiff will contact the parties about scheduling. If we do not add it, you receive a copy of the Court’s order once the Court enters a ruling.
Motions with oral argument and hearing requests
Once you have confirmed this is the appropriate place to note your motion, you must request hearing dates from the bailiff via email. Do not note your motion until you have received an email confirming that your hearing has been scheduled. Judge Whedbee requires that you must also file and provide a working copy of your Note for Motion and Proof of Service within 48 hours after confirming a hearing date.
Any email request for a motion with oral argument hearing must include:
- Case name and cause number
- Names, phone numbers and email addresses of all counsel or pro se party, if known
- Type of hearing and date(s) requested
- All parties must provide any proposed orders to the court in MS Word format at least 1 day prior to your scheduled hearing.
- As we have hundreds of cases on our caseload competing for limited motion availability, If the moving party elects for any reason not to proceed with the motion, that party shall notify the court to strike the hearing immediately, per KCLCR 7(b)(4)(H).
No deliveries directly to the courtroom
Unless arrangements have been made directly with Judge Whedbee’s bailiff, no deliveries are to be made directly to the courtroom. All deliveries should be made to the judges' mailroom. (See mailing address above.)
Hearing and trial information
General trial schedule is Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 4 pm. Judge Whedbee hears motions with oral argument on Friday’s and criminal review hearings daily at 4 pm.
If your civil case is assigned to Judge Whedbee, there is the possibility that your case could be assigned to another judge at the time of trial. The assignment will generally take place on Thursday afternoon prior to trial. You are still required to comply with all court rules regarding pretrial submissions and deadlines. All papers submitted will be provided to the trial judge at the time of assignment by Judge Whedbee’s bailiff. To determine what judge you have been assigned to for trial, please check the Civil Standby Calendar. It will be updated on Thursday afternoon prior to trial and is continuously updated (as needed) at other times.
Judge Whedbee requires all counsel and parties to be prepared at the end of each day to disclose all witnesses that party is intending to call the following day in trial.
The Joint Statement of Evidence
The trial will not begin without a Joint Statement signed by all parties. Local Civil Rule 4(k). Exhibits without objections may be admitted on the first day, to be considered with any other exhibits the parties move to admit on the first day or during trial. Keep in mind that under the rules, parties who raise objections to authenticity without a basis may be subject to attorneys’ fees. Evidence Rule 904 (c)(1). While the rule applies to all objections, this Court’s experience is that authenticity objections tend to be made reflexively so please consider your basis before you make the objection.
Set up
If you need to view the courtroom or set up, contact the bailiff to arrange a time.
Weddings
Judge Whedbee would find it an honor to officiate your wedding. He is available Monday-Friday by appointment. Please contact his bailiff for availability and fees.
Judicial externships
Judge Whedbee provides judicial externship opportunities to law students throughout the year. Applicants must be able to receive academic credit for the experience. If you would like to apply, please send your application materials directly to the judge's mailing address. These should include: cover letter (indicating which semester you are interested in applying for), resume, transcript, writing sample, and list of references.