Judicial Questionnaire 2022
Candidate Info
Candidate Name: Paul Robson
Position Sought: Superior Court Judge Dept. 1
Are you an incumbent for this position? Non-incumbent
Home Legislative District: 27th
Campaign Info
Campaign Manager or Point of Contact: Marlo DeLange
Website https://www.robsonforjudge.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566585990451
Twitter
Part I – Candidate Background
1. Please describe your qualifications, education, employment, past community and civic activity, as well as any other relevant experience.
? My judicial and adjudicative experience includes six years as an Administrative Law Judge, part-time military magistrate for UCMJ cases in the U.S. Army, and six years as an adjudicator for DUI suspensions and revocations. My other relevant legal experience is prosecuting cases as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and supervising prosecutors as a command judge advocate in the U.S. Army. I also provided legal assistance to hundreds of Soldiers and their families in the areas of family law, consumer law, landlord tenant law, and wills, trusts, and estates. I achieved the U.S. Army’s ‘expert’ skill identifier in national security law because of the multiple assignments, deployments, an education in the field of international and operational law, including advising the Joint Chiefs at the Pentagon on domestic military operational law.
2. What prompted you to run for this office?
Pierce County deserves an experienced judge with the wisdom and legal knowledge to ensure justice is served. A judge who follows the law and will make tough and fair decisions impacting people’s lives. I have thirty years of legal experience, including six years as an Administrative Law Judge, and I am the only candidate for Dept 1 that can be that judge.
3. What do you believe are the most important qualifications for a judge or justice?
My job as a judge is to follow and uphold the law as written; I have found during my years as a judge that sometimes I have to make decisions I don’t like or agree with, because that is what the law directs me to do. I believe the mark of a good judge is one that recognizes that will happen and will make those decisions. Personal opinions about what should be left outside the courthouse. A good judge must be thoughtful, objective, analytical, and practical. A good judge has the experience to know what matters and what doesn’t matter.
4. What priorities are you seeking to address with your campaign?
Honor, Integrity, and Experience. I am the only candidate for Dept 1 that has demonstrated those three qualities.
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?
In 2015, the Washington State Supreme Court published findings about the unmet civil legal needs of low-income families, concluding the “justice gap” is growing. Low-income citizens have a disproportionate number of civil legal problems each year with health care and consumer/finance representing the most frequent areas where people experience the greatest number of problems. My goal is to reduce the time it takes to resolve civil cases, improve the settlement conference experience, and impartially provide information to litigants about the Superior Court process. Furthermore, the Pierce County Superior Court has identified eight Stategic Issues in its Strategic Plan and I plan to participate in all eight lines of effort.
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?
Conon 4 of the Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits any pledges, promises, or commitments that are inconsistent with
the impartial performance of the adjudicative duties of judicial office.
3. Would you, if elected, bring restorative justice as a goal to your court room? * If yes, describe how that could look.
The five most common programs of restorative justice are mediation and conflict-resolution programs, family group conferences, victim-impact panels, victim–offender mediation, circle sentencing, and community reparative boards. Restorative justice programs are generally voluntary in nature for all parties and require offenders, if they are to participate, to admit responsibility for the illegal act. Any restorative justice programs available to a judge, must be authorized by law and agreed to by the prosecutor, the victims, and the defendant.
4. What ideas can you offer to make our judicial system more open, transparent, and responsive?
Improving court facilities with dedicated courtrooms for specialty courts, continue to update the Court webpage to provide resources for self-represented litigants, and keep advocating for two additional judicial departments.
5. What are your thoughts on how our courts could permanently incorporate the growing virtual options after the need of the pandemic has passed?
Reminder notifications to litigants and attorneys of upcoming show cause hearing by text, with ability to confirm or strike. text reminder system for potential jurors. Use satellite county buildings and offices to virtually connect to courtrooms so that individuals residing outside Tacoma do not have to travel for status conferences or other hearings other than trial.
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 insure speedy justice?
Advocate for additional commissioner staff to assist with domestic violence protection order docket. Advocate for additional judicial resources, including two additional departments.
7. What judicial reforms do you support to achieve greater equity and inclusion for BIPOC individuals in our communities?
Strategic Issue #3 for the Superior Court's Strategic Plan identifies goals for fostering inclusivity, diversity, equity and access to justice, many involve research and review to identify court processes, procedures, and best practices to identify and reduce disparate impacts on marginalized populations.
By typing my name below, I declare under penalty of perjury the foregoing is true and correct.
Printed Name Paul Robson
Date (mm/dd/yy) 10/16/2024
