Spokane County District Court Judge, Position 8
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Richard M. Leland | 76,242 | 67.80% |
| Timothy D. Trageser | 36,214 | 32.20% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
About The Race
For Timothy Trageser, a longtime criminal defense attorney, the top issue in his race for judge is experience in criminal law. He says he’s defended at least 7,000 accused criminals in federal and state courts. That experience, he said, would translate into better decisions when it comes to sentencing or deciding what defendants are best to participate in alternative programs. The incumbent, Richard Leland, notes that he had criminal experience before his appointment to the bench last year but also has a strong financial background and extensive experience in civil law, including family law.
The Candidates
Richard M. Leland
- Age:
- 71
- City:
- Spokane, WA
- Occupation:
- District Court judge
Education: Graduated from Shorecrest High School in Shoreline, Washington, 1971. Earned bachelor’s in economics from Washington State University in 1976. Earned law degree from Gonzaga University in 1989. Work experience: Worked in the Farm Credit Bureau for more than 10 years before becoming an attorney. Worked as an attorney at Witherspoon, Kelly, Davenport and Toole for about year after law school. Worked for about a year as a public defender for the City of Spokane. Worked as attorney at Feltman, Gebhardt, Eymann and Jones from 1993 to 1999. Worked as attorney at Eymann, Allison, Hunter and Jones, 2000-2005. Opened private practice in 2006. Served as judge pro tem for about seven years. Appointed Spokane County District Court judge by county commissioners in 2013. Political experience: Served as U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers’ district director for more than a year until appointed judge. Family: Married. Has two adult children.
Timothy D. Trageser
- Age:
- 60
- City:
- Spokane, WA
- Occupation:
- Attorney
Education: Graduated from G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton, NY in 1981. Earned bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the State University of New York at Albany in 1985. Earned law degree from Gonzaga University in 1988.
Work experience: Worked Keane and Rasmussen, a law firm that had a contract with the city of Spokane to provide public defense services soon after earning law degree. Worked as criminal defense attorney in firm led by Maryann Moreno, who is now a Superior Court Judge. Opened own law office in 1995. Had contract with Pend Oreille County to perform public defense work. Served as temporary Pend Oreille County District Court judge from June 1996 to January 1997. Served as Spokane County public defender from 2012 until this summer. Opened own law office in June.
Political experience: This is Trageser’s first run for office.
Family: Married. Has two adult daughters.
Complete Coverage
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Today we celebrate the winners of my Sign Gripe Contest, which rewards readers for picking the most hideous examples of real estate infected by campaign signs. Before getting to that, however, I would first like to name the contest’s undisputed loser.
Judge hopefuls focus on experience
Some of the challengers running against incumbent Spokane County District Court judges are demanding reform. Timothy Trageser, a longtime Spokane criminal defense attorney, isn’t one of them. He says the court is in “pretty good shape.” Instead, he’s stressing his background in criminal law.