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Yakima Herald-Republic
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When defendants come before him in Yakima County District Court, Ralph Thompson Jr. says they can count on being treated courteously, even if he ultimately sends them to jail.
"You kind of have to check whatever beliefs you have at the door, and be impartial, and it's very important for me to be courteous to the people who come before me," said Thompson, who was chosen by the Yakima County commissioners to fill an opening as District Court judge. "It's difficult in some cases to ascertain the truth, but you have to determine the facts and apply the law.
"It's essential for the public good to be fair and impartial."
While commissioners selected Thompson to fill the vacancy created when Judge Michael McCarthy was appointed to the Superior Court bench, Thompson was not among the top candidates in results of a poll among the county bar association.
Thompson finished seventh among the 13 candidates receiving votes from fellow attorneys.
Commissioners will formally appoint Thompson on Tuesday.
Thompson, 63, has been a state administrative law judge in Eastern Washington since 1992. Before that, he spent 18 years in private practice in Seattle.
During his time in Seattle, he often served as a judge pro tem in King County District Court and as an arbitrator, and he said that experience was "an eye-opener" for him.
"As a private attorney you are an advocate ... as a judge, you determine what the facts are and apply law, and I enjoy that.
"I like sitting and hearing both sides and making a fair decision."
When notified of his selection for the District Court, Thompson said he was "thrilled, and I was humbled."
Thompson spent much of his youth in Yakima, graduating from Eisenhower High School and then attending Yakima Valley Community College for two years before going to the University of Washington. He graduated from law school at Willamette University in Salem, Ore., in 1974.
Thompson said he likes being a judge because "you're on the front line of access to justice, and you're able to make a difference. You have to make a lot of decisions that affect people's lives."
The District Court seat will be up for election in November, and Thompson said he will be a candidate to keep the position.
The District Court job has a $132,233 annual salary, and that will increase to $141,719 in September.
