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Council appoints Johanna Bender to fill vacancy in King County District Court
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The Metropolitan King County Council today gave its approval to the appointment of Johanna Bender to fill the vacancy in the West Division of King County District Court. The vacancy was created by the appointment of Judge Barbara Linde to King County Superior Court.“It is an honor to serve the people of King County in this capacity,” said Bender after her appointment.
Bender received her law degree from the University of Washington and her bachelor’s from Brown University. She has been a practicing law in Washington since 1996, serving 10 years in criminal law and three years in civil law. Bender has been serving as a Judge Pro tem, Commissioner and Magistrate Pro tem in King, Snohomish and Thurston counties since 2005.
“We were lucky to have three extremely well qualified people to choose from. Johanna Bender is the perfect person to fill the vacancy on the Seattle District Court,” said Council Chair Larry Gossett. “Her experience as a domestic violence advocate, her views on racial disproportionality, and her judicial philosophy show she has the compassion necessary to be an effective District Court Judge.”
“Johanna Bender’s experience and character make me confident she will serve the residents of King County well as District Court’s newest judge,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson. “We had an excellent slate of candidates to choose from, and I appreciate the professionalism and dedication to public service of everyone involved in this appointment process."
“I would like to thank all the well qualified candidates who went through this exhaustive process of applying and being considered to fill the vacancy of the West Division of the District Court,” said Councilmember Reagan Dunn. “Johanna Bender has impressive qualifications and I am more than confident Ms. Bender will make and outstanding addition to the bench.”
“I am thrilled with the appointment of Ms. Bender. I believe she will be a strong advocate for justice and public safety in King County,” said Councilmember Joe McDermott. “Her dedication to justice for all will serve our County well.”
The Council’s appointment of Bender was the result of a selection process that included a rating of interested applicants by the King County Bar Association (KCBA). In addition, all candidates had to complete the evaluation process of at least one bar association that performs judicial evaluations consistent with the provisions of Chapter 2.70 of the King County Code.
The names of seven candidates who rated “Exceptionally Well Qualified” or “Well Qualified,” were submitted by the KCBA. The Council interviewed all the finalists at its April 30 meeting of the Committee of the Whole.