የኪንግ ካውንቲ ከፍተኛ ፍርድ ቤት ዳኛ ሲን ፒ. ኦዶኔል ለጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት 4ኛ ደረጃ እጩ መሆናቸውን አስታውቀዋል፤ ጠንካራ የቅድመ-ጥንካሬ ዘመቻን አበረታቷል

Seattle, Washington – Judge Sean P. O’Donnell announced his campaign for Washington State Supreme Court Position 4, a seat currently held by Justice Charles Johnson, who will Constitutionally ‘age-out’ in 2026.

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Judge O’Donnell has over 25 years experience as a prosecutor and judge and currently serves on the King County Superior Court. Judge O’Donnell’s peers elected him to be the President of the Superior Court Judges’ Association and he has received honors for Outstanding Lawyer of the Year from the King County Bar Association and Judge of the Year from the Washington Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. 

 

His colleagues praise him for his common sense, sound judgment, fairness and his commitment to improving the judiciary.

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Judge O’Donnell announced his candidacy with strong early momentum. He has received endorsements from mayors, community leaders, elected officials and prosecutors, attorneys, and over 150 judicial officers at all levels from across Washington State.  The campaign has raised nearly $60,000 since its launch one week ago.

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“The values I will bring to this job are simple ones — compassion, fairness, independence, and honesty.” said Judge Sean P. O’Donnell announcing his intention to run to friends, family and supporters. “I have dedicated my professional life to making Washington safer and more just for all. I hope to continue this service on our State Supreme Court.” 

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Judge O’Donnell outlined the following core values in his announcement, which are the foundation for his campaign. 

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• Upholding our State Constitution which guarantees our civil rights, individual freedoms, and our fundamental democratic rights.
   

• Putting the needs of victims at the center of our justice system and ensuring everyone has access to justice regardless of gender, race, disability, or language.
   

• Embracing the strongest standards of transparency, ethical conduct, and independence in our judiciary.
   

• Keeping all Washingtonians safe and free from violence, harassment, or discrimination.

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What Judge O’Donnell’s supporters are saying:

“Judge O’Donnell has uncommon common sense.” 

– Jack Nevin, Ret. U.S. Army Brigadier General and Pierce County Superior Court Judge (ret).

 

"I am speaking solely in my personal capacity: Judge O'Donnell's ruling in the Montesi case upheld the constitutionality of Washington's weapons-surrender statute, and because of that decision, hundreds -- if not thousands -- of firearms have been taken off the streets. A functioning justice system depends on judges who apply firearms laws with seriousness and fairness and keep the protection order system working safely and consistently." 

– David Martin, Co-Chair, Domestic Violence Unit and Senior Prosecuting Attorney. 

 

“Judge O'Donnell's knowledge and compassion have spanned across generational lines, making him uniquely qualified to lead the Supreme Court forward to address the new and ever-changing issues the Court will face in the future, while balancing the history and sanctity of the Court as an important institutional bulwark of our State.”

– Natalie de Maar Owner & Managing Partner de Maar Law.

 

"Judge O'Donnell championed the establishment of the specialized Civil Protection Order Court in King County. His knowledge of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Criminal and Family Law aided in his tireless efforts to secure funding, encourage dedicated staff and judicial officers, and ensure specialized training. His extensive legal knowledge and impassioned approach to justice make him an extraordinary judicial officer." 

– Melinda Johnson Taylor, KCSC Family Court Operations Director (ret.)/Former Family Law Commissioner.

 

“For victims of sexual assault and rape, going through the legal process is a very difficult step to take and many survivors chose not to do so.  However, when individuals do make the choice to participate, our legal system must treat them with respect.  I know in Judge O'Donnell's courtroom this is the case.” 

– Mary Ellen Stone, Victims' Rights Advocate & retired CEO KCSARC.

 

Judge Sean O’Donnell enters the race with early endorsements, including: 

 

153 Judicial Officers 

• Helen Whitener, Justice, Washington State Supreme Court

• Anne Cruser, Judge, Washington State Court of Appeals Div II

• John Cooney, Judge, Washington State Court of Appeals Div III

• Kevin Korsmo, Judge, Washington State Court of Appeals Div III (ret)

• Diana Ruff, Judge, Benton County Superior Court

• Travis Brandt, Judge, Chelan County Superior Court

• Kirstin Ferrera, Judge, Chelan County Superior Court

• Simon Barnhart, Judge, Clallam County Superior Court

• Greg Gonzalez, Judge, Clark County Superior Court

• Gary Bashor, Judge, Cowlitz County Superior Court

• Michael Evans, Judge, Cowlitz County Superior Court

• Patricia Fasset, Judge, Cowlitz County Superior Court

• Jill Karmy, Judge, Cowlitz County Superior Court

• Tad Scudder, Judge, Cowlitz County Superior Court

• Steve Warning, Judge, Cowlitz County Superior Court (ret)

• Brian Huber, Judge, Douglas County Superior Court

• Criston Skinner, Judge, Island County Superior Court

• Kristin Ballinger, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Joe Campagna, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Monica Cary, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Karen Donohue, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Paul Eagle, Commissioner, King County Superior Court

• Marshall Ferguson, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Heritage Filer, Commissioner, King County Superior Court

• Jason Holloway, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Angela Kaake, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Matt Lapin, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Nelson Lee, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Kent Liu, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Adrienne McCoy, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Brian McDonald, Judge, King County Superior Court

• John McHale, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Pat Oishi, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Sue Parisien, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Jennifer Peterson, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Cindi Port, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Andrea Robertson, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Michael Ryan, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Camille Schaefer, Commissioner, King County Superior Court

• Ken Schubert, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Michael Scott, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Ketu Shah, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Todd Tinker, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Sandy Widlan, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Coreen Wilson, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Wyman Yip, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Melinda Young, Judge, King County Superior Court

• Chad Allred, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Tim Bradshaw, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Gina Cahan, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Greg Canova, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• William Downing, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Michael Fox, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Helen Halpert, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Bruce Heller, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Bruce Hilyer, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Laura Inveen, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Ron Kessler, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Nicky MacInnes, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Barb Mack, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Richard McDermott, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Charles Mertel, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Annette Messitt, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Les Ponomarchuk, Commissioner, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Mafe Rajul, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Jeff Ramsdell, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Judith Ramseyer, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Kirstin Richardson, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Mary Roberts, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Roger Rogoff, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Steve Rosen, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• John Ruhl, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Cathy Shaffer, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Julie Spector, Judge, King County Superior Court (ret)

• Michelle Adams, Judge, Kitsap County Superior Court

• Jennifer Forbes, Judge, Kitsap County Superior Court

• Melissa Hemstreet, Judge, Kitsap County Superior Court

• Kevin Hull, Judge, Kitsap County Superior Court

• Tina Robinson, Judge, Kitsap County Superior Court

• Doug Goelz, Judge, Pacific and Wakaikum Superior Court (ret)

• Susan Adams, Judge, Pierce County Superior Court

• Sabrina Ahrens, Judge, Pierce County Superior Court

• Tim Ashcroft, Judge, Pierce County Superior Court

• Grant Blinn, Judge, Pierce County Superior Court

• Alicia Burton, Judge, Pierce County Superior Court

• Terri Farmer, Commissioner, Pierce County Superior Court

• Stan Rambaugh, Judge, Pierce County Superior Court

• Jack Nevin, Judge, Pierce County Superior Court (ret)

• Heather Shand, Judge, Skagit County Superior Court

• George Appel, Judge, Snohomish County Superior Court

• Jennifer Langbehn, Judge, Snohomish County Superior Court

• Cindy Larsen, Judge, Snohomish County Superior Court

• Karen Moore, Judge, Snohomish County Superior Court

• Pat Moriarty, Judge, Snohomish County Superior Court

• Bruce Weiss, Judge, Snohomish County Superior Court

• Joe Wilson, Judge, Snohomish County Superior Court

• Michael Downes, Judge, Snohomish County Superior Court (ret)

• Larry McKeeman, Judge, Snohomish County Superior Court (ret)

• Michelle Anderson, Judge, Spokane County Superior Court

• Shelley Szambelan, Judge, Spokane County Superior Court

• Harold Clarke, Judge, Spokane County Superior Court (ret)

• Tim Fennessy, Judge, Spokane County Superior Court (ret)

• Mike Price, Judge, Spokane County Superior Court (ret)

• Sam Meyer, Judge, Thurston County District Court

• Patricia Fulton, Judge, Walla Walla County Superior Court

• David Freeman, Judge, Whatcom County Superior Court

• Rick Bartheld, Judge, Yakima County Superior Court (ret)

• Blaine Gibson, Judge, Yakima County Superior Court (ret)

• Kuljinder Dhillon, Judge, King County District Court

• Michelle Gehlsen, Judge, King County District Court

• Laurel Gibson, Judge, King County District Court

• Karama Hawkins, Judge, King County District Court

• Jill Klinge, Judge, King County District Court

• Rhonda Laumann, Judge, King County District Court

• Raul Martinez, Judge, King County District Court

• Moi Masaniai, Judge, King County District Court

• Lisa O’Toole, Judge, King County District Court

• Rebecca Robertson, Judge, King County District Court

• Kristin Shotwell, Judge, King County District Court

• Leah Taguba, Judge, King County District Court

• Brian Todd, Judge, King County District Court

• Matt York, Judge, King County District Court

• Marcus Naylor, Judge, King County District Court (ret)

• Shane Seaman, Judge, Kitsap County District Court

• Jeff Jahns, Judge, Kitsap County District Court (ret)

• Charles Short, Judge, Okanogan District Court

• Lizanne Padula, Judge, Pierce County District

• Clair Sussman, Judge, Pierce County District Court

• Karl Williams, Judge, Pierce County District Court

• Doug Fair, Judge, Snohomish County District Court

• Beth Fraser, Judge, Snohomish County District Court

• Jeff Goodwin, Judge, Snohomish County District Court

• Anthony Howard, Judge, Snohomish County District Court

• Jeff Smith, Judge, Spokane County District Court

• Paul Wohl, Commissioner, Thurston County District Court

• Jonathan Rands, Judge, Whatcom County District Court

• Sarah McCullough, Judge, Bainbridge Municipal Court (ret)

• Neil Weiss, Judge, Edmonds Municipal Court

• Brad Bales, Judge, Federal Way Municipal Court

• Danielle Havens, Judge, Federal Way Municipal Court

• Kevin Ringus, Judge, Fife Municipal Court

• Scott Stewart, Judge, Issaquah Municipal Court

• Jennifer Grant, Judge, Lake Forest Park Municipal Court

• Linda Portnoy, Judge, Lake Forest Park Municipal Court

• Valerie Bouffou, Judge, Lynnwood Municipal Court

• Risa Woo, Judge, Maple Valley Municipal Court

• Andrea Beall, Judge, Puyallup Municipal Court

• Jessica Giner, Judge, Renton Municipal Court

• Kara Murphy, Judge, Renton Municipal Court

• Pauline Freund, Judge, SeaTac Municipal Court

• Faye Chess, Judge, Seattle Municipal Court

• Anita Crawford-Willis, Judge, Seattle Municipal Court

• Catherine McDowell, Judge, Seattle Municipal Court

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Current and Former Elected Officials

• Claudia Balducci, Councilmember, King County Council

• Rod Dembowski, Councilmember, King County Council

• Reagan Dunn, Councilmember, King County Council

• Pete von Reichbauer, Councilmember, King County Council

• Jared Nieuwenhuis, Councilmember, Bellevue City Council

• Joel Graves, Councilmember, City of Moses Lake

• Sally Bagshaw, Councilmember, City of Seattle (ret.)

• Tim Burgess, Councilmember, City of Seattle (ret)

• Lauren Davis, WA House

• Gael Tarleton, WA House (ret.)

• Jeanne Kohl-Welles, WA Senate (ret.)

• Nancy Backus, Mayor of Auburn

• Lynne Robinson, Mayor of Bellevue (ret); Councilmember, Bellevue (current)

• Matt Lundh, Mayor of Cle Elum

• Cassie Franklin, Mayor of Everett

• Jim Ferrell, Mayor of Federal Way

• Dana Ralph, Mayor of Kent

• Jon Nehring, Mayor of Marysville

• Eric Zimmerman, Mayor of Normandy Park

• Angela Birney, Mayor of Redmond

• Armondo Pavone, Mayor of Renton

• Tessa Gorman, Attorney, former United States Attorney, Western District of Washington

• Brian Moran, Attorney, former United States Attorney, Western District of Washington

• Andy Miller, Benton County Prosecutor (ret.)

• Mark Nichols, Clallam County Prosecutor

• Tony Golick, Clark County Prosecutor

• Chad Enright, Kitsap County Prosecutor

• Mary Robnett, Pierce County Prosecutor

• Adam Kick, Skamania County Prosecutor

• Jason Cummings, Snohomish County Prosecutor

• Jon Tunheim, Thurston County Prosecutor

• Jon Urquhart, King County Sheriff (ret)

• Susanna Johnson, Snohomish County Sheriff

 

Attorneys and Community Leaders

• Petra Ambrose, Attorney

• Hugh Barber, Attorney

• Todd Bowers, Attorney

• Anne Bremner, Attorney

• Michael Brown, Attorney

• Elise Buie, Attorney

• Michelle Chen, Attorney

• Scott Collins, Attorney

• Rachel Culver, Attorney

• Natalie de Maar, Attorney

• Ray Dearie, Attorney

• Mary DePaolo Haddad, Attorney

• Patty Eakes, Attorney

• Erin Ehlert, Attorney

• Damon Elder, Attorney

• Shannon Ellmers, Attorney

• Steve Fogg, Attorney

• Susan Foster, Attorney

• Lou Franz, Attorney

• Veronica Freitas, Attorney

• Ben Gauen, Attorney

• Paul Graves, Attorney

• Tricia Grove Johnson, Attorney

• David Hackett, Attorney

• Todd Henry, Attorney

• Michael Hogan, Attorney

• Logan Johnson, Attorney

• Dan Kalish, Attorney

• Julie Kays, Attorney

• William Kinzel, Attorney

• Janice Langbehn, Attorney

• Tim Ley, Attorney

• Scott Lindsay, Attorney

• Michael Louden, Attorney

• Jack Lovejoy, Attorney

• Terri Luken, Attorney

• Jemima McClullum, Attorney

• Roni Ordell, Attorney

• Sim Osborne, Attorney

• Andrea Ostrovsky, Attorney

• Richard Padden, Attorney

• Michelle Pham, Attorney

• Jennifer Ritchie, Attorney

• Michael Rosenberger, Attorney

• Kit Roth, Attorney

• Brent Ruth, Attorney

• Michelle Shaw, Attorney

• Bill Shaw, Attorney

• Katie O'Sullivan, Attorney

• Molly Terwilliger, Attorney

• Roy Umlauf, Attorney

• Karen Unger, Attorney

• Todd Ungerecht, Attorney

• Al Van Kampen, Attorney

• Kari Vander Stoep, Attorney

• Diego Vargas, Attorney

• Tom Vertitas, Attorney

• Nancy Weil, Attorney

• Stephen Willey, Attorney

• Sunita Anjilvel, Former WSBA President,

• Tiffany Attrill, Victim's advocate

• Elizabeth Hendren, Victim's advocate

• Melinda Johnson Taylor, KCSC Family Court Operations Director

• Mary Ellen Stone, Victim's advocate, former CEO KCSARC

• Natalie Walton-Anderson, Attorney

• Bradford Augustine, Community member

• Bruce Bailey, Community member

• Caralee Bell, Community member

• Mar Brettmann, Community member

• Ann Brockenbrough, Community member

• Ned Brockenbrough, Community member

• Jean Brockenbrough, Community member

• Maurice Classen, Community member

• Paula Craig, Community member

• Dave Craig, Community member

• Mary Fitzgerald, Community member

• Kevin Grossman, Deputy Chief, UW Police Dept

• Matthew Hipps, Community member

• Chip Jacob, Community member

• Kathy McDonald, Community member

• Neil McDonald, Community member

• Elise McDonald, Community member

• David Moffett, Community member

• Jack Morbeck, Community member

• Richard O'Donnell, Community member

• Mary O'Donnell, Community member

• Ned Sander, Community member

• Rachel Sottile, Community member

• Shauna Swerland, Community member

• Mina Velamoor, Community member

• Sandy Wright, Community member

*Organization listed for identification only. 

About the position: The State Supreme Court is the highest court in Washington State.  It is the court of last resort for all state legal matters.  It is responsible for interpreting Washington’s Constitution and Washington State law and for reviewing lower court decisions.  Opinions and rules issued by the State Supreme Court have the same effect and importance as a law passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor.  The State’s judiciary is a separate and co-equal branch of government.  The Court is composed of nine justices who are elected in a non-partisan, state-wide race to serve six-year terms.

 

Justice Charles Johnson currently holds position 4 on the Supreme Court. Due to the constitutional requirement that judges may not serve after age 75, he will be unable to run in 2026. 

 

Since first elected in 2013, Judge O'Donnell has served on the King County Superior Court as Chief of both the Criminal and Family Courts. He has presided over criminal trials, civil disagreements, and complex family and mental health matters.

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Learn more at https://www.odonnellforjustice.com/

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Download this photo of Judge Sean O’Donnell. Permission granted by the campaign for digital and print publication.

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