Judge Rebecca Baker announced today her plan to retire on October 15th from her position as senior judge in the Ferry / Stevens / Pend Orielle county judicial district.  Judge Baker won the position in a contested election in 1996 against Colville lawyer Andy Braff.  Judge Baker used to serve as the Ferry County District Court judge in Republic, Washington.    Judge Baker was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1976, and is a graduate of the Boalt Hall School of Law at UC Berkeley.  By law, when a judge retires before her term expires, the governor is charged with appointing a replacement.

When Judge Larry Kristianson retired in 2003,  several local lawyers asked to be considered by then curent Governor Locke.   Some of those lawyers are still around and may express an interest now.  Those lawyers were:  Bob Simeone, Pat Monasmith, Andy Braff, James Von Sauer, and Jim Irwin.  Attorneys Lew Schrawyer,  John Troberg, and Patti St. Clair also expressed an interest in 2003, but have since left the area.  The position involves a lot of driving, because the judge must cover an area that includes Ferry County, Stevens County, and Pend Oreille County.  The judge’s job is to preside over felony criminal cases, hear divorces and child custody matters, probate cases, adoptions, and many real estate disputes.

I first met Rebecca Baker when I was 24-year-old rule 9 intern.  She was then working in private practice in Republic, Washington.  I had a couple of court hearings with her, but mostly I know her from my work as a criminal defense lawyer in her courtroom over the years.