Spokane County Superior Court Judge, position 6
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Hazel (N) | 57,282 | 61.55% |
| Jocelyn Cook (N) | 35,782 | 38.45% |
* 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.
The Candidates
Tony Hazel
- Party:
- No party
- City:
- Spokane, Washington
Education: Graduated from Gonzaga Prep in 1995. Earned his undergraduate degree at Gonzaga University in 1999. In 2003, he graduated from Gonzaga Law School with honors.
Political experience: Worked on a few judicial campaigns, including those of District Court Judge Debra Hayes and former Superior Court Judge Greg Sypolt.
Work experience: Performed ministerial tasks at the Witherspoon-Kelley Law Firm while attending Gonzaga School of Law. Worked in the district court unit of the Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office from August 2003 to September 2004. In October 2004, began working as a deputy prosecutor at the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, where he remained until taking the Superior Court judge position in 2017. While there, he prosecuted everything from misdemeanors to felony murder trials. Former president of the Spokane County Bar Association.
Family: Unmarried, no children.
Top priorities: Hazel says he works to ensure everyone is afforded the due process guaranteed by the Constitution and that they have access to the justice system. He says he prioritizes making decisions that keep the community safe, including working with police and prosecutors on smart, efficient ways to cut down on crime while taking into consideration everyone’s constitutional rights. Says he strives to take his oath of following the law seriously and always uphold the Constitution.
Jocelyn Cook
- Party:
- No party
- City:
- Spokane, Washington
Education: Graduated from Edison High School in 1996, the College of William and Mary with a bachelor’s degree in 2000, and from the Whittier College School of Law in 2005.
Political experience: None
Work experience: Worked as an attorney for the Spokane County Public Defender’s Office for 10 years, negotiating cases, litigating motions, and trying cases for indigent clients charged with misdemeanors, felonies and dependencies. Spent two years in the Law Office of Lana C. Glenn, where she drafted appellate briefs. Was a mentor for Academic Success Program at Whittier College School of Law in California for two years.
Family: Married, two children.
Top priorities: Cook wants more consistency from the bench, meaning the public should be able to anticipate the application of the law from each judge. Says judges should consider alternatives to incarceration as they weigh the cost of limited resources against the benefit of jailing people for nonviolent offenses. Says she wants to clarify what it is judges do for their community by being more open and transparent while on the bench.
Complete Coverage
Spokane County Superior Court candidate decries judicial election system her opponent embraces
The race for a Spokane County Superior Court judgeship is partly about the race itself. Jocelyn Cook, who is vying to unseat incumbent Judge Tony Hazel in the November election, argues that the process of voting for a judge – an elected official who should be impartial and devoid of party affiliation – is a deeply flawed procedure.
Tony Hazel finishes first in primary for Spokane County Superior Court judge
Tony Hazel finished first in the primary to hold his Spokane County Superior Court seat, but he’ll likely have to face Jocelyn Cook to keep it.
Editorial: Hazel tops field for Superior Court
All three Superior Court candidates were impressive, but Tony Hazel did receive higher evaluations and has shown leadership on criminal justice reforms.
Three candidates enter the running for Spokane County Superior Court judge
When Superior Court Judge Sam Cozza died unexpectedly this year, several members of Spokane’s legal community threw their hat in the ring to fill the vacancy left by the longtime and well-respected presiding judge. In May, then-deputy prosecutor Tony Hazel rose above the rest of the applicants after being selected by Governor Jay Inslee as Cozza’s replacement. Many expected the ensuing election later this year to feature only one name on the ballot.
Spokane County’s newest judge, Tony Hazel, sworn in with support from Steve Gleason, Adam Morrison
Tony Hazel was sworn in as Spokane County’s newest Superior Court judge.
Inslee picks Spokane County prosecutor to fill Superior Court judge vacancy
Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Spokane County prosecutor Tony Hazel to the Spokane County Superior Court Tuesday, filling the seat left vacant by the late Sam Cozza.