Pierce County Prosecutor – Mark Lindquist

Judicial Questionnaire

Candidate Information

  • Candidate Name: Mark Lindquist
  • Position Sought: Pierce County Prosecutor (Incumbent)
  • Home Legislative District: 27
  • Democrat: Yes

Campaign Information

Part I – Candidate Background

1. Please briefly describe your qualifications, education, employment, community and civic activity, union affiliation, prior political activity, and other relevant experience.

Demonstrated commitment to justice and public safety: career Prosecutor, appointed in ’09, elected in 2010, re-elected in 2014 against write-in candidate, same opponent as 2018.

Demonstrated commitment to our community: Chair of United Way Campaign, Tacoma Community College Foundation Board, City Club board, Rotary member, Werlin reading tutor, numerous volunteer activities, highly active in community.

Demonstrated commitment to Democratic values: have worked for numerous Democrats, going back to Booth Gardner.

2. What law firms or public law offices (i.e. King County Prosecutor’s Office) have you worked for? Have you served as a prosecutor or a public defender? Please include dates, and title for each position that you have held, as well as areas of law practiced.

Deputy prosecutor, 1995-2009
Prosecutor, ’09 to present.

3. Have you ever served as a mediator or arbitrator? (If so, please describe your experiences.) If you are an incumbent, do you perform settlement conferences?

no

4. Have you been a judge pro-tem? If so, what was that experience like? What did you learn from it?

no

5. What do you believe are the most important qualifications for a judge or justice?

For Prosecutor, commitment to community, commitment to public safety, commitment to improving the justice system, and a commitment to integrity in all pursuits that rises above the many pressures. Also, accomplishments that demonstrate the commitments.

6. What prompted you to run for this office? What priorities are you seeking to address with your campaign?

To continue our successful efforts to keep our community safe and just. For example:

–Elder Abuse Unit, protecting elders and other vulnerable adults.
–Data-driven prosecution, reducing crime and reducing bias in the system.
–Therapeutic courts, drug court, veteran’s court, and a new mental health court, diverting non-violent offenders with mental health issues from the criminal justice system and into services. We are also diverting juveniles from the system and into services.
–Holding Big Pharma accountable for their role in the opioid crisis and the harm it has caused to our community.

7. What steps are you taking to run a successful campaign?

First, I am running on my successful record of keeping our community safe and improving the justice system, see #6.

Second, I have broad support throughout the community, as evidence by more than 500 endorsements listed on my webpage, including former Congressman Norm Dicks, current Congressman Derek Kilmer, Pierce County Central Labor Council, the seven firefighter unions in Pierce County, and many more.

Third, we have raised approximately $180,000, and it’s come from a large variety and number of donors so our numbers will continue to rise.

 

Part II – Position-specific

1. Do you support making it easier for Washingtonians who are not members of the bar to access public records, particularly at the Superior/District court levels, where per-page fees are charged?

Yes, public records should be easily accessible and affordable. In the Prosecutor’s Office, we have instituted new online systems where requestors can easily access public records at no cost.

2. Do you have any thoughts on how our courts should address the growing use of smartphones during court proceedings, particularly by jurors?

N/A

3. Is Washington relying too much on court fees to cover the cost of operating our judicial system? How do you believe our courts should be funded?

Yes, our courts should be better funded by the State.

 

Part III – Access to Justice

1. If elected, how will you work to improve access to justice, particularly for communities and constituencies that do not understand the American legal system?

We need to reduce bias and barriers to justice. In the Prosecutor’s Office, we work with the courts to accomplish this. We also have victim’s advocates who assist victims of crime, and we have other constituency services for community members, and good communication with a variety of community groups. For example, as mentioned above, we are leaders in the state for protecting and educating elders, including non-English speaking elders.

2. What does the phrase Black Lives Matter mean to you as a judicial candidate?

Just that, black lives matter. As a Prosecutor, I am aware that our criminal justice system, including police and prosecutors, can be biased. Our criminal justice system, as stated above, should be free of bias, whether conscious or unconscious. As Prosecutor, a bias-free system is one of my goals.

3. What ideas can you offer to make our judicial system more open, transparent, and responsive?

Our leadership team is focused on creating a public service culture, which includes openness, transparency, and responsiveness. As I travel the county speaking with community groups, I am pleased by how often our office is complimented for our openness and responsiveness to constituents.

 

By typing my name below, I declare under penalty of perjury the foregoing is true and correct.

Printed Name: Mark Lindquist

Date: 05/22/18

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