Writer likes Estudillo's demeanor

To the editor:

I am a private attorney who practices regularly in Grant County Superior Court. I have appeared before Judge Estudillo and his election opponent, Nick Wallace, when he serves as a pro tem commissioner.

I think the voters should know there is a dramatic difference in temperament between Judge Estudillo and Mr. Wallace. Judge Estudillo is known for his calm, rational, judicial demeanor and the respectful way he treats everyone in his courtroom.

He is humble and thoughtful. And his rulings are sound and based on the law. I have also had the opportunity to observe the Judge campaigning to retain his seat on the bench. There is no sense of entitlement in his approach to his election campaign.

Mr. Wallace projects a sense of entitlement, and overstates his qualifications and experience. His message seems to be that he was the chosen one, he got robbed of the appointment, Estudillo couldn’t possibly be more qualified than him, and Estudillo’s nothing other than a place-holder.

Judge Estudillo is widely respected by attorneys who appear before him, well-liked by the Court staff, and his 16 years of experience as a lawyer on both sides of the mountains is, I presume, one of the many reasons he was appointed to this position in the first place. Mr. Wallace’s courtroom experience is minimal compared to Judge Estudillo’s.

Judge Estudillo is a credit to the judiciary and Grant County. He is everything we deserve to have in a judge. He was the right choice for appointment, and the voters should retain him in this position.

Lyliane S. Couture

Moses Lake