How to change the judicial picture in King County?

[seaspades]

This blog, and Nextdoor, is rife with us residents voicing dissatisfaction the the judiciary – all the criminals coming back, repeating their crimes and taking a chunk of ideal out of our paradise. However, how do we change things if – on the West Seattle Ballot – there are 18 judicial related positions (prosecutors, state supreme court, local judges) and only 2 were contested? Aside from the message we’re hopefully sending in the 2019 council races, how do we fix this? It’s not like just anybody can decide they’re mad as hell, not going to take it any more and decide to run for judge. Curious.

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[HMC Rich]

I wrote in radio hosts on my ballot to “make it interesting” in those judicial races.

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[anonyme]

Rich, that’s funny – I’ve started doing random write-ins, or simply filling in “none of the above”. I think one of the worst things to happen around here was when the ‘top two’ voting system was approved. What’s happened is what always happens when there is any lack of opposition or difference of opinion – extremism. Locally, that means liberal extremism, where each candidate must appear to be more left than the other in order to stand out. There are no checks and balances. Don’t get me wrong, I think both left and right have lost their marbles. It’s just a shame that there’s absolutely no tolerance for moderation (sanity) any more.
As for judges, I don’t entirely blame them. Local laws and the way they are enforced have been rendered useless by the city council (and others) who are playing the game mentioned above. The hands of the police have been tied, as have those of judges. I suspect that’s also why sitting judges run unopposed. Those who might want to make a difference must surely be aware that they would be taking on a position where that’s impossible.

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[JanS]

HMC Rich. Haven’t been here much this fall. Just thought I’d wave and say hi :)

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[bertha]

“Random write-ins” are not funny. Your “funny” write-in adds extra cost to processing your ballot and NOTHING you can write is original or funny, its all been seen before.

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[anonyme]

bertha, you’re funny. Maybe I’ll write you in next time. And given that you have NO idea what I wrote, that ballots are private, and that I have the right to both free speech AND a vote, you are not in a position to make any judgment one way or another.

I do think that “none of the above” should be a valid option included on the ballot, thereby making a statement about the process – as well as providing valuable information as to how many voters feel disenfranchised by the limited choices we are being presented with.

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[West Seattle since 1979]

The right to free speech doesn’t mean that others can’t disagree with what you write. AFter all, Bertha has the right to free speech too. She didn’t do anything to take away your free speech rights or voter rights by telling you she didn’t think what you did was a good idea.

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[anonyme]

WS79, your comment makes no sense. Where did I state, or even insinuate, that Bertha had no right to disagree with me? Or are you suggesting the reverse = that I can’t disagree? She did, however, state that I should limit my speech and vote in a way that meets with her approval. That is wrong, and I again assert my own right to free speech by disagreeing with it. Since ‘she’ can’t “take away” my voting rights unless she kills me, it’s a ridiculous argument.

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[HMC Rich]

Hi JanS. Nice to hear from you. Been busy. Probably going to move out of Seattle soon. Too expensive these days. But I want to wish you a very happy new year! Now if there is a 100k job that opens up for me then I will stay.

More on the thread later…

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