‘Bigger impact on the community’: Dean Chuang fills newly created 13th judgeship in Spokane County

Dean Chuang had long thought about applying to be a judge.

After years as a defense attorney, he believed he made a difference in his clients’ lives, but he only handled a few cases at a time.

“I think I wanted to make a bigger impact on the community,” Chuang said.

When the Spokane County Commission approved a 13th judgeship in May, Chuang (pronounced Chwong) felt it was time to apply.

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Chuang to the position in December.

Chuang, 44, grew up in Olympia. He went to Whitman College, where he studied biology. He thought he wanted to be a doctor or maybe a scientist, so he enrolled at the University of Washington to study psychology and earned a degree.

During that time, he participated in parliamentary debate that sparked an interest in the law.

He attended Gonzaga Law School, where he was immediately drawn to criminal defense.

“You’re dealing with messy people’s messy problems,” Chuang said.

He hoped to “put some order into peoples’ lives,” he said.

To pay for law school, Chuang enrolled in the ROTC program. He has served in the Army Reserve since.

After law school, Chuang spent a year as a public defender in the Tri-Cities before moving back to Spokane and into private practice with the late John R. Clark. He became a partner at Crary, Chuang & Domanico, P.S., about a decade ago.

One of his favorite parts of being a partner was mentoring new lawyers – eventually going up against them in court one day, he said with a smile.

In 2012, Chuang completed the Washington Leadership Institute at UW that helps recruit, train and develop traditionally underrepresented attorneys. That’s where he first got the idea of potentially becoming a judge one day, Chuang said.

Growing up, Chuang didn’t see anyone who looked like him in the legal profession.

“I didn’t know any single lawyer that was Chinese, Korean or Asian, but now you’re seeing a lot more,” Chuang said.

In 2019, Chuang deployed to Syria and Iraq as an intelligence information officer with the Army. It was his first deployment and changed his view of the world.

He returned from 10 months of separation from his family and his normal life to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It makes you appreciate things a lot more,” Chuang said. “Life is much more precious here than in a combat zone.”

All of those experiences, Chuang said, brought him to the bench.

New position poses unique challenges

Chuang’s first few weeks on the bench have looked different than those of his other recently appointed colleagues who took over existing dockets in courtrooms frequented for years.

The Washington State Legislature funded a 13th judge for Spokane County in 1997. It wasn’t until last year that the county commissioners agreed to fund their portion of the position, citing, in part, a lack of courtroom space.

A new but small courtroom has been under construction on the second floor of the Spokane County Courthouse for months. The space is not large enough to accommodate a jury box and can only handle hearings that do not require a jury.

Judges have not determined which judge will use the new courtroom.

The dockets, or case load, of the 12 existing judges have remained much the same for years. Now, those dockets need to be rebalanced to account for the new judgeship.

“The job of the 13th judge is the same as the jobs of the other 12 judges,” Presiding Judge Tim Fennessy said. “It’s just that we have to determine the balance.”

The court hired consultants from the National Center for State Courts to help evaluate the situation and survey stakeholders, judicial officers and court users.

Fennessy said a rough draft of their report arrived Monday. The new docket won’t be able to accommodate jury trials.

There’s an increase in the number of people who represent themselves in family court, which often means judicial officers spend more time on those hearings to ensure procedural fairness, Fennessy said.

New tenants’ rights laws, along with a backlog of evictions from the pandemic, have created an increase in cases and court time on the docket for evictions, he said.

While the court continues to evaluate readjusting the dockets, Chuang will be busy, Fennessy said. There’s no shortage in work, he added.

“We’re very happy to have him here,” Fennessy said. “We’re excited to welcome him to the bench.”

Chuang said he hopes his courtroom is a place where all sides feel they were able to have their say, regardless of the outcome.

“Everyone needs to be heard,” he said.