Judicial candidates Q&A: Two in race for local judge position
Editor’s note: On the November ballot this year is the race for Grant County Superior Court judge, between incumbent John D. Knodell and challenger Kevin McCrae. Columbia Basin Herald reporter Emry Dinman asked both candidates questions and invited them to submit written answers.
Q: Why are you running for this seat on the bench?
Judge John D. Knodell: I have held the seat for which I am running for the last 12 years, and I am running for another four-year term because of the experience I have gained and my enjoyment of the work.
I offer Grant County someone who relishes applying the law impartially and solving “real world” problems. I also want to continue a process of improving the judicial system. It is far too costly and time consuming for many litigants who find themselves involved in a civil dispute, which is why I want to implement a requirement on all civil litigants to participate in mediation.
My judicial colleagues throughout the state have implemented similar sorts of rules, which has greatly reduced the amount of time people have to spend in court. If re-elected I will seek to implement a mandatory mediation requirement for all civil disputes in Grant County Superior Court.
Deputy Prosecutor Kevin McCrae: Because our Superior Court needs help. In the past four years, my opponent has been disqualified from over 2,700 cases in Grant County Superior Court. He cannot complete the requirements of his position. He is not trusted by the people who appear before him.
I believe judges should follow the law, not make it. My opponent believes judges should be allowed to rewrite the law in ways that benefit certain groups, including gangs. We need judges who will answer the phone, judges who are interested in learning new ideas and technologies to keep up with our changing world. It is not appropriate for one district court judge to issue 90 percent of all search warrants when there are six who should share the duty.
I know I can be fair to both sides, regardless of the number and nature of the issues between the parties. My experience in the court of appeals makes me alert to all the issues that may be present in a case, and to the facts brought forward to support argument on those issues. Our court needs to move into the 21st century with electronic filing. I have the experience and background to help put the court in a position to better serve the people of Grant County.
Q: What experience do you bring to this position?
Knodell: A superior court judge must possess broad experience as he/she hears many different types of cases. I began my career in private practice, where I handled everything from adoptions to zoning issues. I also learned what it is like to operate a private business. I then served Grant County as the Grant County Prosecutor for 18 years, where I learned what it is like to operate a government agency. For the last 12 years, I have served the public as a Superior Court judge, where I have learned to make decisions by applying the law as fairly as possible. The quantity and quality of my experience guides me every day when I am called upon to make decisions that impact individuals’ lives. I’ve also worked to develop a judicial temperament, which requires patience, decisiveness, courtesy, and commitment to equal justice, among other things. I have perspective gained from my varied experience in the courts.
My opponent doesn’t have nearly that amount or quality of experience. He says he is a better choice to serve as a Superior Court judge. He cites disqualifications against me, but he and his colleagues in the Prosecutor’s Office are primarily responsible for the disqualifications. He is like an arsonist complaining about the fires. I assume I’m disqualified because I expect lawyers to do their job and be prepared to try their case in my court. Taxpayers must understand that my caseload is as large as it has ever been. While my judicial colleagues hear criminal matters from which I was disqualified by my opponent, I handle civil matters, which are typically more complicated and time-consuming than criminal matters. My handling of these matters over the last 12 years is reflected in endorsements I have received from a majority of Grant County’s private lawyers and the support I have from two former Superior Court judges. It is because of my experience both as a private and public lawyer, and a Superior Court judge that I have been endorsed by a majority of Grant County’s private lawyers.
McCrae: I am currently the Grant County Chief Deputy Prosecutor for Civil and Appellate issues. I represent the county in any civil legal issues that arise, from tax, personnel, or contract issues, police issues, and all the other questions and problems involving county government. I am also in charge of appeals, both criminal and civil. Whenever a person is convicted at trial they have a right to appeal and have another court review what was done at the trial. As the Chief Appellate Deputy it is my job to make sure the prosecutor’s office does it right in the first place, and defend what was done after the fact. Prior to that I was a criminal prosecutor, prosecuting some of the most serious crimes in Grant County. I have also been a juvenile deputy and prosecuted some cases in district court. I was the first gang prosecutor in Grant County. Prior to attending law school, I served nine years as a naval officer, serving in electronic warfare in Iraq, both in the air and on the ground. This gave me experience outside the law and dealing with people under stress on a personal basis, rather than from an ivory tower.
Q: Is there anything that could be improved or would be maintained if you are elected that would better ensure equal and consistent justice for Grant County residents?
Knodell: I will continue to treat all people who come before me with the utmost respect and civility. I will also continue to apply the law as written. It is not my role and I do not make public policy decisions on what the law should be. Any accusation that I re-write the law is vague, unfounded and malicious. When I rule, I state the law upon which I based my decision.
McCrae: I support moving towards a drug court. Grant County is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, county in Washington without a drug court. While drug courts cannot help everyone, they can be effective for some individuals. One of the achievable aims of these programs is to keep convicted drug abusers off drugs and, at the same time, out of the jails and prisons.
Electronic hearings would be another advantageous addition to Grant County courtroom procedures, ensuring people can avoid sitting in court for hours to appear in a hearing that lasts only a few minutes. While electronic hearings are not the best for every situation, they can increase efficiency, reduce costs, and allow people to do other, noncompeting tasks where appropriate. A related problem is that Grant County is also behind in moving to an electronic records system. I will push to adopt a system that will be easier for people to use, that will not always require a trip to the courthouse to conduct county business.
The necessary technologies already exist to implement these streamlining processes in Grant County courtrooms. All Grant County needs is the will to move forward into the 21st century, will supported by direction from the bench.
