UPDATED: Judicial group rates Ford above Hunt for appellate seat

• Published August 06, 2008

The nonpartisan but rightward-leaning Justice for Washington Foundation has issued its judicial ratings for the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, including an “unqualified” rating for appellate Judge J. Robin Hunt of Bainbridge Island and mixed reports on three Supreme Court incumbents.

Hunt is a two-term judge on the Court of Appeals’ Division II, District 2, and she faces a challenge from open government advocate Tim Ford.

Ford, who works for the Attorney General’s Office and is a former in-house attorney for the Building Industry Association of Washington, earned a “well qualified” rating, the second-highest possible, and his judicial philosophy was deemed “commendable” because of his “respect for the law and Constitution.’’

Here is a link to the full ratings news release.

Hunt received no rating in the second “respect” category, which gauges judicial philosophy. The foundation favors candidates showing “judicial restraint” or deference to the Constitution, according to foundation president Alex Hays. “Very well qualified” and “commendable” are the group’s highest ratings in the two categories, and only appellate judge Elaine Houghton earned the highest mark for qualifications.

Hays said Hunt’s low rating was based in large part on her ruling in the so-called Korum case, where she accused Pierce County prosecutors of vindictiveness and misconduct after a defendant was able to undo his plea bargain and then was prosecuted and sentenced to more than 100 years in prison for home-invasion robberies.

The results are in high contrast to other ratings by law groups. Hunt was rated “exceptionally well qualified” by six different law groups, including the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association and Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, while Ford earned a “not qualified” rating from the prosecutors and no rating at all from the bar groups. Ford was the first choice of two Kitsap bar members in a preference poll and Hunt was first pick of 57 in that county.

Click here to go to votingforjudges.org and see ratings in the race.

Hays said his group was “floored” by the high rating WAPA gave Hunt.

Hays described his group as the only bipartisan judicial rating in the state, because the group has two Republicans and two Democrats on its judicial candidate evaluation committee. But he acknowledged its rightward tilt in that its chairman is Republican ex-U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton.

Other ratings the foundation released today:

Justice Mary Fairhurst earned a “well qualified” rating, but on the topic of “respect for the law and Constitution,” she was deemed “insufficient.’’ Opponent Michael Bond earned a “qualified” rating and was deemed “sufficient” on the respect issue.

Justice Charles Johnson also earned a “well qualified” rating and was deemed “insufficient” in respecting the law and Constitution. Opponents James Beecher and C.F. “Frank” Vulliet both were rated “qualified,” but the committee cited a lack of information to determine their level of "respect for the law and Constitution."

The third justice on the ballot, Debra Stephens, earned a “well qualified” rating, but the committee lacked information to offer the second rating. Stephens has no opponent.

UPDATE at noon Aug. 6: Link to foundation's ratings has been updated to reflect corrections the group made to candidate name spellings.