Judicial Questionnaire – 2026 Revision
Candidate Info
Candidate Name: Matthew York
Position Sought: King County District Court, Southeast position 2
Are you an incumbent for this position? Incumbent
Home Legislative District: 11th
Campaign Info
Campaign Manager or Point of Contact: Jennifer York
List social media sites:
Part I – Candidate Background
1. Please describe your qualifications, education, employment, past community and civic activity, as well as any other relevant experience.
I earned a BA in communication from the University of Nevada in 1999. I earned a Juris Doctorate and Certificate of Dispute Resolution from Willamette University in 2002.
I have been serving as a King County District Court Judge since I was appointed by unanimous vote of the King County Council in April of 2017. I was retained in 2018 and reelected in 2022. I have presided over tens of thousands of cases that include: Criminal matters from DUI to Domestic Violence, Small Claims Court, Infraction matters, Protection order hearings. I have completed the judicial college as required by the RCW and I have a large amount of experience prior to my appointment.
Prior to appointment, I have 10 years of criminal law experience as a King County Deputy Prosecutor and a Seattle City Prosecutor. I prosecuted everything from traffic infractions to murder. I was with King County from 2002 to t 2010. I then served the City of Seattle under Pete Holmes from 2010 to 2017. I also have 5 years civil experience with the City of Seattle.
Community and civic activity includes:
(2003, 2004) – Volunteered with the Police Explorers to help the children be prepared for a mock trial event. This involved instructions in basic trial procedure and information on the role of a prosecutor.
(2004-2005) – Volunteered time to the Seattle Community College aiding in the formation of a forensics team for national competition.
(2007-2009) – Volunteered guest instruction to multiple criminal justice class in Kitsap county to provide a prosecutor's perspective on the system.
(2009) – Worked as a crew member in the Breast Cancer 3-day walk.
(2009 – 2012) – Volunteered in the community gardens of Federal Way to help this worthy project that feeds hundreds of low income citizens in Federal Way.
(2010 – present) – Joined Kiwanis in Kent as part of the Kent AM club. Participated in many activities to help the youth of King County and was honored to be asked to serve as Secretary for 2011. I have served as Secretary and President at various times.
(2011- present) – Volunteered multiple times to clean up parks in Seattle and Kent.
(2012) – I sat as a Committee Member for the fire services consolidation committee for the City of Seatac.
(2013-2016) – I served a Committee Member and Chairperson for the Committee for Community Building in the City of Seatac.
(2014 – present) – Volunteering at Northwest Harvest several times a year packaging food product for distribution to food banks.
(2014- present) – I serve as a board member for the South King County Activity Center (SKCAC). It is a non-profit organization that provides job training and employment opportunities for the profoundly disabled.
(2017 – present) – I have regularly spoken to elementary and middle school students about the judicial branch of government and the Constitution.
2. What prompted you to run for this office?
I am running to retain my position. I wanted to be a judge to provide fair and just contacts with the legal system. I was raised to give back to the community and I firmly believe that as a judge I can improve the quality of life for not only those that appear in front of me, but also those who may never appear in a court of law. I want to help people to trust the system and provide access to justice to everyone.
3. What do you believe are the most important qualifications for a judge or justice?
A judge must be professional and consistent with a solid understanding of the law. Correct rulings are very important, but without a professional demeanor on and off the bench they mean nothing. Those appearing in the court must be able to count on a consistent approach to ensure fairness. These three combine to create a compassionate judge looking for solutions other than incarceration while balancing the safety of the community.
4. What priorities are you seeking to address with your campaign?
The State has experienced an extreme turnover in judicial officers. My campaign will focus on my experience, record, and accomplishments as a judicial officer. I will rely on my 18 years experience on the bench and nearly 9 years as a King County District Court Judge.
5. What is the code of conduct for your campaign?
My campaign will be respectful and never use personal attacks. Should I draw an opponent, my campaign will be based on my qualifications, experience, and temperament as a judge. I was in a judicial race in 2009 where the incumbent was extremely disrespectful and was ultimately sanctioned by the PDC. I will never allow my campaign to be lowered to that level.
Part II – 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?
A judge has the ultimate duty to ensure equal access to justice. The law should treat someone the same whether a person can afford the best private defense attorney or is assigned a public defender. A private defense attorney has a greater chance to take a deep dive into a particular case than does a public defender. I recognize this and give the public defender enough time and courtesy to communicate with their clients and prepare for trial. Money is not the only barrier to access. Implicit bias, cultural impact, and language issues also can stand in the way. Some cultures will not call the police while those who do not speak English may avoid doing so out of embarrassment or fear they will not be understood. I am aware of these issues and make sure that there are language resources available. A judge must work to combat these barriers outside of the court as well as inside it. Working with youth in schools, moot court programs, or debate programs can help educate people on their rights. I recognize that I have this responsibility to the community even when I am not in the robe and on the bench.
2. 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?
There should be no connection to fees collected and the operation of the court. A judge should not have to consider the necessity of fees and fines while sentencing someone as doing so creates an inherent conflict of interest. Fines and fees also disproportionally impact those of lesser means. This is counter to everyone being treated equal under the law. In an ideal world the court would be able to get detailed financial information of the Defendant and tailor the fines based on income. The courts should be funded by the general tax funds as unrelated to condition of collection as possible. The courts benefit everyone in the community as a place of seeking justice, public safety, and resolving financial disputes. As everyone benefits in some manner, the costs should be borne by all.
3. Would you, if elected, bring restorative justice as a goal to your court room? If yes, describe how that could look.
Restorative justice principles have already been applied in my courtroom. I started the community court in Auburn. What I discovered in doing this is that a review hearing in a traditional setting can use principles similar to a community court structure. Access to resources to prevent the environmental triggers that contributed to the criminal behavior to begin with can be provided. Multiple resource centers have been established in the last 10 years around King County and most of them allow access to everyone in need. Compassionate accountability involves repercussions for bad behavior but with the opportunity to learn and grow at the same time. If probation is not a good way to get compliance with a sentence, I have had scheduled more frequent and regular review hearings with the court directly and made sure to address their needs while supervising their compliance with conditions of a sentence.
4. What ideas can you offer to make our judicial system more open, transparent, and responsive?
The internet has opened up access to information we have only just dreamed of. With the exception of properly sealed court records, there should be very few barriers to opening these records up to a search online. This does create a risk of this information being misused by landlords and potential employers looking to hold criminal allegations against potential employees or residents so a controlled release may be required. Our court system is already amazingly open and transparent compared to other systems but a transparent view into something complicated and specialized does serve the public. Lawyers are required to truly understand what is happening in our courts. Simplifying language, reducing the use of specialized language, and a wider use of plain language would be a good start. As a judge I always have a conversation with those in front of me answering any questions they have in as plain of language as I can
5. What are your thoughts on how our courts could permanently incorporate virtual options for court hearings?
We have learned a great deal over the last 6 years on how to best use remote platforms for court hearings. There are some places where it will never be able to properly serve. In testimonial hearings, a party must be able to freely communicate with counsel while the hearing is occurring. A remote platform does not allow this to occur. It has also, in interpreter cases, tripled the length of some hearings due to consecutive translation instead of concurrent translation. Our court has discovered, however, that a virtual hearing in protection order cases can not only provide a more accessible court, but also create an environment safer for a party seeking protection. A remote appearance reduces the possibility of intimidation or coercion. King County District Court has already incorporated virtual options for many hearing types and continues to examine how best to utilize the technology. We have no current plans to stop virtual appearance options for most types of hearings.
6. Justice delayed is justice denied, what are your thoughts on how to catch up on the current backlog of cases awaiting trail? Additionally what changes to the current court system would you implement to ensure speedy justice?
King County District Court does not currently have a backlog. As Chief Presiding Judge, I led the Court out of COVID. We had a backlog of small claims cases and criminal matters when I assumed leadership. Over my two years in the position we worked our way through the cases and were caught up by the time I left my term as PJ. Delays in any current cases we have tend to be based upon motions of the parties which are granted or denied based on the discretion of the judge.
7. What judicial reforms do you support to achieve greater equity and inclusion for BIPOC individuals in our communities?
Community Courts, DUI Courts, pretrial diversion programs, and therapeutic courts have all greatly increased equity and inclusion for all. I support expansion of these programs. They are not for everyone and they are not consistent with justice for certain types of crimes. One of the challenges of expansion of these programs is a lack of resources. These programs require more time with the judge. Courts of limited jurisdiction deal with an incredible volume of cases. To support expansion of these programs would require more judicial resources.
By typing my name below, I declare under penalty of perjury the foregoing is true and correct.
Printed Name: Matthew York
Date: 03/03/2026
