Last week, the Senate confirmed Richard Jones as federal judge in the Western District of Washington. He replaces Judge John Coughenour, who went on senior status last year. Judge Jones, 56, is a 1975 graduate of the University of Washington School of Law. He served as a King County deputy prosecutor, staff attorney for the Port of Seattle, associate attorney at the former Seattle law firm of Bogle & Gates, and assistant U.S. attorney before being elected to the King County Superior Court bench in 1994. While on the bench, Judge Jones presided over the Green River Killer trial in which he sentenced Gary Ridgway to 48 consecutive life terms. The Seattle Times reported that he was among the most highly-ranked King County Superior Court judges in a lawyer survey in 2003 and was named “judge of the year” by the King County and Washington State Bar Associations in 2004. His half-brother is celebrated musician Quincy Jones.
Congratulations, Judge Jones! We look forward to working with you.
Photo credit: The Seattle Times