Gerry Alexander
| Gerry Alexander | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Washington Supreme Court Justice | |
| Assumed office 1994 | |
| Washington Court of Appeals Judge | |
| In office 1985-1994 |
Gerry L. Alexander was an associate justice of the Washington Supreme Court. He was first elected to the Court in 1994. Due to the court's age limit of 75, Chief Justice Alexander retired from the court in 2011, before his current six-year term expired.[1] Alexander served as Chief Justice of the court from 2001 until January 1, 2010.[2]
Education
Alexander received his bachelor's degree in history from the University of Washington. After serving in the U.S. Army, he returned to the University of Washington to earn his J.D. in 1964.[3]
Career
After graduating from law school, Alexander practiced with the firm Parr, Baker, Alexander and Cordes. In 1973, he joined the Superior Court, where he eventually served both Thurston and Mason Counties. In 1985, he became a judge on the Washington Court of Appeals. He served in this capacity until joining the Washington Supreme Court in 1994.[4] In November 2008, Alexander was elected by the other justices of the court to a third four-year term as its Chief Justice.[5]
Awards and associations
- Distinguished alumnus, University of Washington Law School
- Honorary Doctor of Laws, Gonzaga University
- Chairman, Advisory Committee on Washington Law Reports
- Chairman, Bench-Bar-Press Committee on the State of Washington
- Chairman, Board for Judicial Administration
- Chairman, Capitol Furnishings Preservation Committee of the State of Washington
- Co-Founder and Board Member, Washington Courts Historical Society
- Former Member, Board of Trustees, Superior Court Judges' Association[4]
Elections
2006
In this election, Alexander's campaign raised $271,547, with the group "Lawyers and Lobbyists" as the largest group in terms of giving to his campaign, with $83,670.[6][7]
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Primary % | Election % |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gerry Alexander  |
Position #8 | 54.3 | 100% | ||
| John Groen | Position #8 | 45.7% |
2000
Alexander was re-elected to Position 8 after running unopposed in the primary and general elections.[8]
1994
In 1994, Alexander beat Democratic state senator Janice Niemi and Superior Court Judge Faith Ireland. Alexander beat Niemi with 52 percent of the vote.[9][10]
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Primary % | Election % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerry Alexander |
Position #2 | 44.2% | 52.8% | ||
| Janice Niemi | Position #2 | 32.2% | 47.2% | ||
| Faith Enyeart Ireland | Position #2 | 23.4% |
Attorney-client privilege
On May 13, 2004, the Washington Supreme Court ruled in a 5 to 4 decision that the attorney-client privilege is greater than the "Public Disclosure Act." Alexander wrote for the majority that the legislature "created the exemption when it amended the disclosure law, which makes most government documents available to the public, in 1987."[11]
Political ideology
In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan ideology of state supreme court justices. They created a scoring system in which a score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology, while scores below 0 were more liberal.
Alexander received a campaign finance score of -0.83, indicating a liberal ideological leaning. This was less liberal than the average score of -0.91 that justices received in Washington.
The study was based on data from campaign contributions by the judges themselves, the partisan leaning of those who contributed to the judges' campaigns, or, in the absence of elections, the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice, but an academic summary of various relevant factors.[12]
See also
- News: Gerry Alexander to leave WA Supreme Court, December 21, 2011
External links
- Washington Courts, Justice Gerry Alexander
- Project Vote Smart, Justice Gerry L. Alexander (WA)
- The Capitol Record, "Thursday Q&A: State Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry Alexander on his 15 year term, retirement and beyond," November 5, 2009
- Interview with Chief Justice Alexander, from the Supreme Court of Washington Blog Podcast, October 30, 2009
- The Olympian, "Justice Alexander returning to private practice," December 9, 2011
- The Washington Supreme Court blog, an unofficial blog that covers the Washington State Supreme Court and its justices
Footnotes
- ↑ The News Tribune, "Retirement at 75 ‘reasonable’ to chief judge," October 26, 2009
- ↑ Washington Supreme Court Blog "Selecting a new chief justice," September 29, 2009
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, Justice Gerry L. Alexander (VA)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Washington Courts, Justice Gerry L. Alexander
- ↑ Washington Court News, "Washington Supreme Court Elects Chief Justice," November 7, 2008
- ↑ Follow the Money: Gerry Alexander
- ↑ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Special-interest money fueling judicial races," September 15, 2006
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, Election Results, Position 8
- ↑ Seattle Times, "Supreme Court Race Rises In Profile -- Influx Of Candidates Brushes Away Tradition," September 11, 1994
- ↑ Seattle Times, "Supreme Court Races Take On Partisan Tinge -- Sedate Is Out; Mailings And Ads Are In," November 11, 1994
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "Court:Attorney-client privilege overrides open-records law," May 14, 2004
- ↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Washington, Western District of Washington • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Washington, Western District of Washington
State courts:
Washington Supreme Court • Washington Court of Appeals • Washington Superior Court • Washington District Courts • Washington Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Washington • Washington judicial elections • Judicial selection in Washington
