April 2004

Around the State

Cowlitz County Report
by Our Local Correspondent
Local attorneys assisted in this year's mock trial competition, organized by Noelle McLean. Dennis Maher showed up sporting a beard. Apparently, it has something to do with his going to France. Ed Putka, Jim Stonier, and Steve Warning acted as judges during the competition. Tierra Busby, Dennis Maher, Michael Evans, Dainen Penta, Tim South, Kevin Blondin, Wayne Purcell, Dustin Richardson, Ann Mottet, Lisa Johnston, Dennis Ott, Ray Hinea, Jeff Mahitka, and Nichole Mahnke were performance raters.

Jamie Imboden is now working at Crandall, O'Neill and McReary. Jamie was formerly with Pond, Roesch & Rahn. Debbie Burchett landed the Kelso Municipal Court public defender contract.

Ian Northrip visited Disneyland with his family and returned after not getting a callback for the role of Sneezy. In other Hollywood news, Legal Aid is debuting a family law video starring Noelle McLean and Alex Styve.

Effective February 1, 2004, Kevin Blondin has been made a partner in the law firm of Reitsch, Weston & Blondin PLLC. Kevin will continue his practice of primarily criminal defense, personal injury, and civil litigation. In an effort to keep up with his partners, Kevin will also continue to work on his short game and putting.

Meredith Graff is upgrading from a smaller office to a larger suite in the same office building. If she needs help moving, she should talk to Elle Couto, who can now bench-press 185 pounds.

Information for the June issue must be received by April 15 at CWBAnews@hotmail.com.

East King County Bar Association Report
The East King County Bar Association's 2004 slate of officers took over at the group's December holiday party. David Seeley is president; Katherine Weber, vice president; Anneliese Johnson, secretary; Gregory Russell, treasurer; and David Johnson, past president. Greg Home and Judge Peter Nault were re-elected as trustees. Kyle Branum was elected to a new term. James Clark, Henry Farber, Ryan McFarland, Al Richardson, and David Sweeney continue as trustees.

International Report
Lisa M. Lombardi was accepted onto the Roll of Solicitors in New South Wales, Australia, in October 2003 and Queensland, Australia, in December 2003, and currently holds a Queensland practicing certificate. She handles native title, water, and environmental issues at Golder Associates in Brisbane.

Island County Report
by Tom Pacher
Greetings from the shores of Penn Cove. Amidst your vacation homes and several farms, there are actually a few attorneys on Camano and Whidbey Islands practicing law. Really. We have courthouses and everything.

Lynn Hicks, counsel for Nichols Brothers Boats in Freeland, was promoted to colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves in April last year. A reception was held in New Orleans early this year, and Lynn finally got to pin on the appropriate hardware February 1 of this year. Something tells me that with an employer that has some of the biggest boats on Whidbey, and the birds on her Marine uniform, local attorneys are going to be really nice to Lynn. Reeeeeally nice.

Coupeville attorney Charles Arndt recently put his Zen-like demeanor to the test when his wife, Georgie, gave birth to the couple's first child, a girl, late last December. We're waiting to see how many nights of interrupted sleep and changing diapers Charles can take before he snaps. So far he's made it through several weeks without breaking. (Disclosure: Charles is the Arndt portion of the firm I work for, Platt & Arndt.) Charles, we're still waiting for our shade-grown 100 percent organic fair-wage non-embargoed low-tar celebration cigars.

Island County Bar Secretary/Treasurer Hans Juhl, in the "local boy makes good" spirit, recently went to work for the Oak Harbor offices of Christon Skinner. Chris, in hiring Hans, filled the firm's opening for an attorney with a "really, really German-sounding name." Prior to that move, Hans had been operating solo out of Oak Harbor, reportedly not too far from where he went to high school. Well, he says he went to high school in Oak Harbor, and claims he has pay records and a dental visit to prove it.

The United States Navy was kind enough to loan us Lt. Marc Nuzzo for a recent one-hour seminar. Lt. Nuzzo filled a number of Island County attorneys in on the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003. Despite having an awkward presentation space, and a number of Navy brass with serious amounts of hardware on their uniforms sitting in on the presentation, the Lt. did a really nice job.

My wife and I moved over here last summer, after I'd been commuting from the mainland for over three years. Aside from dramatically lower home costs and property taxes, I'm finding it is amazingly quiet where we live. I've also become a big fan of practicing in a court where a busy day means having to park more than three blocks away. Surprising what a difference a 15-minute ferry ride can make.

Judiciary Report
by Lindsay Thompson
Washington Supreme Court Justice Faith Ireland has announced she will not seek a second term and will retire when her current term ends in January 2005. She told reporters that after 21 years as a judge, she is interested in trying out some new challenges in the private sector. Elected in 1998 after long service in King County Superior Court, Ireland made history in 2002 as part of the high court's first female majority, and also for her prowess in powerlifting. She took up the sport after an auto accident, and in January the 130-pound justice won her second national title with a 198-pound squat lift, a 253-pound dead lift, and a 133-pound bench press. At press time, King County Superior Court Judge Robert Alsdorf  had announced he would run for Ireland's seat.

Last summer, Benton-Franklin Superior Court Judge Carolyn Brown announced her plans to retire June 30, seven months before the end of her fourth term on the bench. Judge Brown told local media the combination of the daily court grind and increasing caseloads influenced her decision. Brown turns 65 in June.

Governor Gary Locke appointed Bainbridge Island lawyer Ted Spearman to the Kitsap County Superior Court to succeed retiring Judge Terry McCluskey. Spearman assumed his seat March 1 and will seek a full term in the fall. He has also appointed Yakima County Judge Ruth Reukauf to the Superior Court bench there. She succeeds Judge Michael Leavitt, who left his post to accept appointment as a U.S. magistrate judge in the Eastern District of Washington. Governor Locke has now made 58 judicial appointments in seven years in office.

King County Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer's article "Therapeutic Domestic Violence Courts: An Efficient Approach to Adjudication?" has been accepted for publication by the Seattle University Law Review and will be published later this year in Volume 27, Issue 4.

Oregon Report
The Oregon Narcotics Enforcement Association named Umatilla County Deputy District Attorney Wade McLeod "Prosecutor of the Year" for 2003. The award recognizes dedicated service in the field of narcotics prosecution.

South King County Report
by Tom Campbell
All the news that's fit to print isn't really news at all. I was recently reminded that recognition should be given to the long and honorable career of Jack Burgeson. Jack hung up his spurs a few months ago and turned the office over to Alan Singer. Alan's not exactly wet behind the ears, but when Jack's name was mentioned to me for inclusion in this article, I was reminded of other South King County legends like George Fiori, Duncan Bonjorni, and (I know that it's going to hurt him to be included with the elder legends) Ken Fornabai. At one time each of them had offices in the same building on Auburn Way. There have been a handful of other notables who passed through that building — George's daughter, Loretta Fiori-Thomas; John Rizzardi; and yours truly. Jack has gone to Palm Springs to enjoy his retirement and the sun. Kudos to Jack.

On a lighter note, earlier I reported that John Crowley won the South King County Bar Association Golf Tournament. Oops. John Curry is the champ. Given the circumstances, I'm surprised that I didn't report Jack Daniels or Bolivar as the winner.

The South King County Bar Association has a long tradition of meeting in March with the Supreme Court. This year's event was held in Olympia. The Court is always a gracious host and our thanks go out to all the justices in attendance. A number of the members rode a chartered bus to the meeting. Carlos Sosa led the group in Motown songs to liven up the ride.

Spokane County Report
Witherspoon, Kelley, Davenport & Toole has added Ryan K. Jensen to the attorney rolls in Spokane. Jensen is a BYU undergrad and UW law alum, and practices in municipal and real estate law and litigation.

In Memoriam
Remembering our colleagues and friends

Coleman P. Hall
Seattle Attorney
Coleman P. Hall graduated from Principia College in Illinois and from the University of Michigan Law School. He began a commercial law practice in 1953 with the law firm now known as Karr Tuttle Campbell, and he was a partner in the firm until his retirement.

He served his community generously in pro bono matters. He was active in civic affairs on Mercer Island. His colleagues respected him as thoughtful and professional. He is remembered as gracious and kind by all, and with deep love and affection by Roseann, his wife of 51 years, and his four children.

Coleman P. Hall died November 2, 2003.  

Judge Thomas J. Majhan
Easterner who made a career on the peninsula
Thomas Majhan was born and raised in Pittsburgh and served 14 years in the Army before going to law school. He was a Vietnam War veteran and retired a lieutenant colonel. He came west with his wife after graduating from law school in 1977. He practiced briefly in Sequim, and then opened an office in Port Townsend. He was elected a part-time district court judge in 1982, and held the post, which became full-time later, until 1998. In 2000 he was elected to the Superior Court bench. He was diagnosed with cancer in January.

Majhan's wife died before him. The couple had no children.

Thomas J. Majhan died January 18, 2004, aged 66.

David R. Nevitt
Former Attorney General of Micronesia
David Nevitt was a military kid who traveled the world until his father retired and the family settled in Raymond. Nevitt took pride in being a member of the undefeated 1962 Raymond High football team, after which he won decorations for his service as an Army Ranger in Vietnam.

After graduating from UW, Nevitt studied law at UC Berkeley and began his career with Lane Powell in Seattle. After marrying his wife, Linda, they moved to Aberdeen, then to Raymond, to raise their family in a small town. He was then recruited to become principal litigator for the Federated States of Micronesia, and then was appointed attorney general. He resigned when political unrest arose, and joined Carl Smith Ball, a Pacific Rim firm, to set up an office in Saipan. He practiced there for 19 years until he returned to Washington because of illness.

Survivors include his wife, three children, his mother, and three siblings.

David Robert Nevitt was born in Seattle February 9, 1945, and died in Seattle December 2, 2003, aged 58.

Jacqueline G. Newcomb
Practiced law in Spokane

An undergraduate and law alumni of Gonzaga University, Jackie Newcomb practiced in Spokane for a decade. Calendar Call, the Spokane County Bar Association newsletter, said, "She had a servant's heart and wanted to see that everyone's needs were met. This included her involvement with the patients at Eastern State Hospital."

Survivors include her husband, Mark; a daughter; her parents; four siblings; and a large extended family.

Jacqueline Newcomb died in Spokane, January 1, 2004, aged 41.

Bar News has also been advised of the death of these WSBA members:

Muriel Mawer, Seattle, admitted 1935, November 30, 2003.

Ward Sax, Seattle, admitted 1949, August 20, 2003.

Obituaries and remembrances of WSBA members are welcome. Please forward to the editor at the WSBA office or by email at tradelaw@thompson-law.com.

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