To the editor:

The contested Aug. 19 primary election for superior court judge is an issue of vital public importance. I fully support my colleague, Judge Vickie Churchill, for reelection and urge everyone to vote for her. I am a life-long resident of Island County, and have had the privilege of serving our county as a superior court judge for almost 20 years. Judge Churchill and I have served together for almost 12 years.

Few things are more important to me than the proper administration of justice in our county. I have put my heart and soul into my work as a judge.

So has Judge Churchill. She is a dedicated, hard-working judge. She has unswerving integrity, a wealth of legal knowledge and legal experience, high intelligence, a steady judicial temperament and a strong desire to make the right decision in every case she hears.

Judge Churchill and I work well as a team. We operate one of the most effective and efficient courts in the state. Together, we have implemented many programs to improve the administration of justice and provide all citizens with access to justice. These include our widely acclaimed Court Appointed Special Advocate program, which provides a citizen advocate for every child in dependency cases, state-of-the-art juvenile detention center, therapeutic drug courts and community accountability boards for juvenile cases. They also include our requirements for mandatory mediation and parenting seminars in family law cases, a courthouse facilitator program providing assistance to low-income people in family law cases, and court rule allowing telephonic appearances in court, thus reducing the cost of litigation.

Judge Churchill is a strong leader who is highly regarded by her peers in the legal community. She has served for many years on the state Board for Judicial Administration, the principal policy-making body for the courts of Washington, and just finished her term as president-judge of the Superior Court Judges’ Association, a tribute to the esteem in which she is held.

Judge Churchill is an outstanding judge and public servant.

I urge you to reelect her in the primary election, which will decide this race.

Alan R. Hancock

Island County Superior Court Judge