Thank you for your words. Ms. Robertson gets my full support as she will bring criminal law experience, integrity and common sense to the court. This has been a long journey of mine to serve my community as a judge. I have had to work for everything in my life and assume this will be no exception. The extra effort I have to put in will no doubt make me a better judge when I do make it to the bench.

His campaign manager is Gloria Miller. They have not responded to my question about his claim that he is rated "exceptionally well qualified" yet either. The only rating I can find for him is "not qualified." Feel free to contact her at Campaign@judgemorgan.com and ask your questions. It is your government and he should have to support the claims he makes

To my knowledge there is no other planned forum for this to be discussed. In fact, I did not have knowledge of this claim prior to the previous forum. It does not seem that there will be a way to confront him on this claim before the primary. He has yet to answer my email asking him questions about all those claims.

It is my understanding that to this point Mr. Morgan has not reimbursed any agencies for costs of litigation. I do not think it was ordered. The end amount spent by Federal Way was over $100,000.00.

I sent Judge Morgan an email asking him about the claims he made in the voter's pamphlet. It asks him about his endorsements and when he got them. The email also asks him about his claim that he is rated "exceptionally well qualified" when I can only find a rating of "not qualified." He has not responded.

Thank you for your kind words. In order for our government to operate correctly we must have transparency. It is because I believe in this ideal that I have attempted to make my campaign as open as possible to advise, criticism and questions from the voters. I will not agree with everyone, but I will respect their opinions and answer their concerns here as best as I am able in this limited forum. Please do not forget about the blog the Mirror has provided. It provides more room for dialogue.

Presiding judge would go to the sitting judge with the most experience on the bench. Four years experience is usually required. If I were to win my election, no candidate would have the four years required so I would likely work with the other judge to run the court. Some courts trade off presiding every two years.

I do not believe money decides everything. I have faith that the voters of Federal Way will be able to see the forest amongst the trees and find the most qualified judge.

I can only give my personal assurance that I will help create a positive work environment. I can point to my actual management experience and conflict resolution training to demonstrate that I have the ability to follow through on this assurance. The way the clerks have been treated is one of the main reasons I decided to seek this office.

Thank you for your question Pat. This is a question that even United States Supreme Court nominees do not have to answer. I can tell you that I strongly believe in following precedent and the separation of powers.

I have met the city manager, but he was chief of police at the time I met him. I have had very little communication with him in either of his roles with the city.

I have no relationship with her.

The staff is at the court to do the work of the city. I cannot imagine a circumstance where I will be asking a clerk, whose job is to make sure records are accurate and the the customer is served with respect, to order pizza or any other food or beverage for me.

The employees of any municipal court are the most valuable asset a court has. When they are working as a team and content with their jobs the court runs efficiently. I wish to establish an environment of professional communication where the employees of the court feel comfortable to communicate concerns and help create solutions to problems that exist. I am trained in conflict resolution theory and I am a trained mediator. I intend to use these skills to help everyone move past the problems of the last four years and focus on solutions.

Your question is a good one and we could have a long conversation about this complicated subject. On this issue I am truly torn. I like having the power in the people’s hands but I am not a politician and I do not think we want our judge’s thinking about how to get re-elected. There is also the separation of powers to consider. If not the voters making the choice it would be the city mayor or city manager. Do we really want the executive/legislative branches of the government controlling the membership of the judicial branch? So there is the potential of the judge either thinking about getting re-elected or trying to please the other branches of government. Either path has the danger of having a judge not be fair and impartial. Ultimately I put my faith in the voter. When we put the power in the hands of thousands there is less chance of a few individuals corrupting the system

I did not know Judge Larson prior to this election. Since beginning this process I have spoken with him on several occasions at community functions. I have found him to be an affable man and should he prevail in his election I believe I will be able to work with him. As for his performance since appointed to the court I have seen very little first hand. I know that he has been rated exceptionally well qualified by the King County Bar Association and I have read the news articles and internet comments that have been critical of him. I am resolved to keep an open mind in relation to Judge Larson so that Federal Way will have a better chance to succeed should he end up my colleague in the court. As for the current court administrator, the problems the court has experienced in the recent past have stemmed from a lack of skilled conflict resolution and improper management. It will take an experienced management eye to determine if the current administrator is one of the causes of these issues. It seems possible that she is but I hesitate to make a final decision on that without further investigation and information.

I have heard and researched all sides of the argument. One of my endorsers, Jeff Steinborn, is a champion of legalization. I have had in depth conversations with him on the subject. I also have had trainings and conversations with law enforcement officers that have expressed the anti-legalization of cannabis opinion. Ultimately I believe strongly in the separation of powers within our government. It is not a judge’s job to take positions on what is legal or not legal. I leave that job to the legislature. Whether cannabis is illegal or legal, it is my duty as a judge to support that decision by your elected representatives regardless of my personal opinion. Those are in fact the roles that you elect each of us for.

The problems in the Federal Way court are going to require an experienced management eye. Someone with experience is going to have to evaluate the dynamics of the work place there and make educated determinations on what is a causal issue and what is a symptom. I have helped manage a multi-million dollar company on a day-to-day basis. I have been responsible for the interviewing, hiring, disciplining, promotion and termination for 60-100 full and part-time employees. This experience, coupled with my criminal law experience, makes me the most qualified candidate to make these determinations and help make the municipal court in Federal Way one of the best in the State. Regarding Judge Larson’s investigation, he was in a difficult position. Since he was a victim of the alleged threats it would have been my recommendation that he seek an independent review of the allegations. I believe that Judge Larson acted in a way that he thought was best for the municipality.

While the District Court system of King County is well run, the amount it costs is clearly more than a local municipal court. Maintaining a municipal court in Federal Way will cost hundreds of thousands less than rejoining District Court. That is the reason Federal Way left in the first place. Even with the financial liability issues that have been experienced in the last few years the municipal court is less expensive. There is also more local control on costs and more ability to adapt the court to the needs of the community. The contract with the King County District Court would commit Federal Way to five years of stasis with no ability to adjust the system due to unexpected financial turns or an increase/decrease of criminal activity. A municipal court gives the city council more ability to adjust to the unexpected.

I’ve been very involved in many cases in Federal Way, and I’m in touch with the community here. My wife and I live just minutes up the road and regularly go to dinner and movies in Federal Way, as well as to various community events. We recently saw Willy Wonka Jr. at the Knutzen Family Theatre, and were very impressed by the performance. In preparation for the Breast Cancer 3-Day, my wife Jennifer does a lot of her training on the BPA Trail out of Celebration Park. The areas of South King County are all unique, but carry many similar qualities of diversity and energy.

The most valuable experience a person needs to be a successful municipal court judge, is practicing criminal law. This experience gives you an understanding of the issues a municipal court judge faces on a day to day basis. Obviously the higher the quality of that experience, the more useful it is. I have spent the last seven years practicing criminal law in one of the largest prosecutors' offices in the country as a King County Prosecutor. Furthermore, for the last two and a half years, I have had focused practice in search and seizure and 5th Amendment issues. On average, I reviewed 15-20 warrants a month. This means that I most likely reviewed more search and seizure issues than any sitting judge in the same time period. Having worked investigations from the ground up with the police, I have seen 5th Amendment issues up close and personal. Rulings of admissibility are some of the most important judgments that can be made by a judicial officer because of the impact on the people involved. No other candidate in this race has the same level and quality of focused criminal law experience that I possess, which is one of the reasons I am confident asking for your vote.

To perform the job of a Municipal Court Judge well you need significant criminal law experience. Every important decision a Municipal Court Judge makes will be answered with the knowledge gained in that experience. In my career, I have had extensive criminal law experience that includes every stage a criminal case passes through in the system. Beyond this, for the last two and a half years, my criminal law experience has focused on 4th & 5th Amendment issues. Search & seizure issues are some of the most complicated decisions a judge has to make. On average I have reviewed 15-20 warrants a month for the last two and half years. This is more search and seizure experience than any sitting judge in King County gained in the same time period. For this reason I am uniquely qualified for the position.

While Criminal law experience is needed to perform the job of a Municipal Court Judge, you need experience outside the Municipal Court realm to fully understand the implications of your decisions. In court, I have prosecuted everything from traffic tickets to a murder in the first degree. This breadth of experience gives me a complete understanding of the system that others may lack. I am aware of all of the repercussions to a defendant being convicted in my courtroom. This complete understanding for the criminal justice system is another reason why I am the best candidate for this position.

The Municipal Court is bound by statute, and it mandates a non-delegable duty to manage personnel. Federal Way’s new Municipal Court Judge needs to be more than a scholar of legal issues. Many of the problems facing the court today are rooted in a lack of management skill. Prior to my legal career, I had 3 years of management experience. I managed a multimillion dollar operation where I was responsible for hiring, scheduling and disciplining some 60-100 employees at any given time. I have attended management training classes and performed all levels of management duties. I am the only candidate that brings this combination of focused criminal law experience and the necessary management background to the Municipal Judge position in Federal Way.

Federal Way’s municipal court suffers from a schism among the personnel. Hard working, qualified clerks & administrators have had communication stifled. This requires a collaborative effort to repair. While attending law school, I was one of only 16 students selected to participate in a specialized intensive training that focused on conflict resolution. Earning my Certificate of Dispute Resolution expanded my ability to think outside the box. I became versed in mediation & negotiation. With these skills, I will work to create value and the collaborative solutions needed to rebuild this team. This additional training, combined with my Bachelor of Arts in Communication, make me the ideal candidate to lead these dedicated staff in building a court that Federal Way will be proud of.