Hague DUI case leads to changes in way judges are appointed
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SEATTLE - The presiding Judge of the King Court District Court says she is issuing a directive to all judges that if an attorney in otherwise good standing has a recent misdemeanor or felony conviction, that person should not be appointed as a pro tem judge.
The directive followed a flap over a court appearance Monday by King County Councilmember Jane Hague. It was the latest round in her DUI case.
On the bench, was pro tem judge Richard Llewelyn Jones. He continued the case until Nov. 28.
Hague's Democratic opponent, Richard Pope is furious. "He continued this case until well after the election, so Jane doesn't have to face any accountability," Pope said. "That's scandalous in my opinion."
Actually the prosecutor and Hague both wanted a delay. There was no open court date before the election.
What Richard Pope did next is what shook everyone up: He did a background check on the judge.
He found out the State Bar Association had censored Jones. He also found that in 2001, Jones pled guilty (an Alford Plea to a misdemeanor) to maliciously damaging a rental car.
He was ordered into anger management.
In 2005, Jones faced burglary charges for taking things from his ex-wife's house.
It was bargained down to a misdemeanor. He got two years probation -- probation that isn't over yet.
When KOMO News went to Jones' office in Bellevue seeking comment, a receptionist said the attorney wasn't in today and probably would have no comment.
This whole story took Barbara Linde, the presiding judge of the King County District Court system, by surprise. A judge on probation?
"We simply didn't factor in the notion that someone would come to us with prior criminal history," she said.
Until Wednesday, there was no background check. That's changing.
"I would issue an order that would prohibit an otherwise eligible attorney from serving if they have a criminal history," she said.
The directive followed a flap over a court appearance Monday by King County Councilmember Jane Hague. It was the latest round in her DUI case.
On the bench, was pro tem judge Richard Llewelyn Jones. He continued the case until Nov. 28.
Hague's Democratic opponent, Richard Pope is furious. "He continued this case until well after the election, so Jane doesn't have to face any accountability," Pope said. "That's scandalous in my opinion."
Actually the prosecutor and Hague both wanted a delay. There was no open court date before the election.
What Richard Pope did next is what shook everyone up: He did a background check on the judge.
He found out the State Bar Association had censored Jones. He also found that in 2001, Jones pled guilty (an Alford Plea to a misdemeanor) to maliciously damaging a rental car.
He was ordered into anger management.
In 2005, Jones faced burglary charges for taking things from his ex-wife's house.
It was bargained down to a misdemeanor. He got two years probation -- probation that isn't over yet.
When KOMO News went to Jones' office in Bellevue seeking comment, a receptionist said the attorney wasn't in today and probably would have no comment.
This whole story took Barbara Linde, the presiding judge of the King County District Court system, by surprise. A judge on probation?
"We simply didn't factor in the notion that someone would come to us with prior criminal history," she said.
Until Wednesday, there was no background check. That's changing.
"I would issue an order that would prohibit an otherwise eligible attorney from serving if they have a criminal history," she said.
