Estudillo campaigning to retain Superior Court bench seat
Grant County Superior Court Judge David Estudillo announced Sunday that he has the support of all nine State Supreme Court justices in his campaign to retain his seat on the bench.
EPHRATA — Grant County Superior Court Judge David Estudillo announced Sunday that he has the support of all nine Washington State Supreme Court justices in his campaign to retain his seat on the bench.
Estudillo was appointed to by Gov. Jay Inslee in August 2015 to fill the seat vacated by now-retired Superior Court Judge Evan Sperline. Sperline served on the bench for 30 years and announced his retirement last April, which became effective in August. His retirement came in the middle of his four-year term, so Inslee was charged with appointing a replacement to serve in Sperline’s place for the remainder of the term.
In a statement released by Estudillo Sunday, the judge indicated he had the unanimous support of the State Supreme Court Justices and more than 20 other judges from around the state in his campaign to retain his seat.
“Unanimous decisions from our Supreme Court are rare,” Estudillo said via the release. “I’m honored they agree that I have the right set of life experiences and professional credentials to be an asset to the Grant County Superior Court.”
Estudillo, a native of Sunnyside, was sworn into office in September. He has practiced law for 16 years in complex litigation, insurance defense and immigration. He has served on the Moses Lake Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and a variety of legal clinics that purported to help people who could not afford an attorney, according to the release.
Estudillo ranked near the top of the candidate pool for the governor’s appointment last year in a survey commissioned by the Grant County Bar Association. The survey, conducted by Washington State University criminology professor David Brody, solicited opinions from 85 attorneys in the Grant County Bar.
The attorneys were asked to rank each of the eight candidates for their competence in five categories: legal knowledge, judicial temperament, integrity, relevant legal experience and suitability. Survey results, which were released in July, showed Estudillo was ranked as the second-most qualified candidate in legal knowledge and temperament, and third in integrity, experience and suitability. He was one of three candidates deemed by Grant County Bar members as at least “qualified” in all five categories.
The other candidates for the appointment last year included Douglas Anderson (Ephrata), Lyliane Couture (Moses Lake), Paul Gaffney (Ephrata), Rafael Gonzalez (Ephrata), Albert Lin (Kennewick), Rani Sampson (Wenatchee), and Nick Wallace (Ephrata).
Last week, Wallace announced his candidacy for the judge’s seat, as well. In the Bar-commissioned survey released in July, Wallace had been identified by Grant County attorneys as the most qualified candidate overall.
The results of the survey were based solely on the average reported numbers. Grant County Bar Association President Stephen Reagan said at the time that the Bar commissioned the survey to help Inslee in his appointment and to help educate the public on each of the candidates.
“Litigation is by definition adversarial,” Moses Lake attorney George Ahrend said via the release, “but Judge Estudillo has gained a reputation for his calm, professional relationships with everyone. He is thorough in his decision-making process and treats everyone with respect. He is a judge who has those values our community expects in a judge.”
Estudillo said it is important that the public see a judiciary that reflects its entire community.
“I will be working hard throughout my campaign to get around the county and talk to ordinary people about the values we all share,” he said.
For more information on Estudillo’s background and a complete list of his endorsers, visit his campaign website at www.judgeestudillo.com or www.facebook.com/judgedavidestudillo.