1. Name as it will appear on the ballot
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First Name |
Middle Initial or Nick Name |
Last Name |
2. Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):
3. Are you the incumbent? Yes No
4. How long have you resided in this district/city?
5. How long have you resided in
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27 years |
6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan? Partisan Nonpartisan
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
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Campaign Name: |
Mark Mestel |
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Address: |
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City/State/Zip: |
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Campaign Phone: |
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Campaign Fax: |
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Campaign E-mail: |
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Campaign Website: |
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1. Beginning with the most recent position, please list public offices which you have held. Include positions on appointive Boards or Commissions.
Public Office |
Elective or Appointive? |
Dates Held |
Leadership Role (if any) |
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Director,
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2. If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:
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Office Title |
Year of Run |
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Justice,
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In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge. These are defined as follows:
§ Knowledge: Has the candidate demonstrated the willingness and ability to learn and adapt? Does the candidate understand the duties and challenges of the office sought? Does the candidate have a firm grasp of the issues important to his or her constituency and their potential effects?
1. In a page or less, why are you running for this office? (Note: the interview committee will be given a copy of this statement before your interview; at the beginning of your interview you will have the opportunity to expand on this statement in any way you wish.)
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I appear in court daily
and have tried hundreds of cases over the past 27 years. My career in In the last several years I have begun to lecture more frequently at Continuing Legal Education Seminars. My presentations are favorably received. My proficiency as a trial attorney has resulted in my being listed in America's Best Lawyers, Seattle's Best Lawyers, and Law and Politics Super Lawyers. |
2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
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My most important trait is my willingness to work hard. Representing clients requires hard work, and I have done this for many years. From this, I have developed competence as a lawyer and in particular a trial lawyer. I know what it takes to be a good judge because I have spent so many years in courtrooms all over the State. I have been recognized by America's Best Lawyers, Seattle's Best Lawyers, and Law and Politics Super Lawyers as one of the best lawyers in my primary field of practice. It is this determination that will distinguish me as a judicial candidate and as a judge. |
3. Please describe in sufficient detail, one to three accomplishments or contributions of which you are most proud. These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking. These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life.
4. Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek. Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved. Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life.
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My primary activities have always been working hard, helping to support my family, and helping to raise my two children. I have been involved in all their numerous sporting activities and academic accomplishments. I believe that every involvement with the community, in any regard, relates to the position of judge. Being a good judge requires solving problems within the parameters of the law. Being a good parent, being a sole practitioner running a successful law firm, and being a good lawyer all relate to problem solving on some level.
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The primary duty of a judge is to make certain that equal justice is available to all who enter the courtroom. To fulfill this duty the Judge must be knowledgeable, impartial and motivated to ensure that each litigant is treated fairly and given an opportunity to present his or her case. A secondary responsibility of the judiciary is to ensure that the justice system is efficient. As a long time participant in the criminal justice system, I know that it is far from efficient. This lack of efficiency serves to erode the public's confidence in the system. The judges of the Superior Court can and should take steps to make the system more efficient. If elected I would work with my fellow judges to implement changes in the Court rules that I believe would benefit the administration of justice. |
EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY
The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report is distributed to voters in print and/or on our website. It includes a summary of the candidate’s education. Please summarize your education in 120 characters (letters, punctuation, and space all combined). The League will delete material that exceeds the space limit by beginning with the last entry. Suggested order is (degree) (subject) (school) (year, if desired).
Note: If this question is left blank the League will not include education information in your candidate profile.
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B.A. from Northwestern University, 1973; J.D. with honors from the University of Michigan School of Law, 1976. |
FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT
The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report also includes a summary of each candidate’s civic involvement. Please summarize your civic involvement in the space below. We will make every attempt to include the information in the Candidate Evaluation Report as submitted. Due to space restrictions in the Report, your response is limited to 500 characters (letters, punctuation, and spaces all combined). It is important that you list your involvement beginning with the most important and ending with the least important. If you exceed the length of response permitted, or if the League should find it necessary to shorten responses for publication purposes, deletions will be made beginning with the last item listed.
Note: This information will appear verbatim on the League’s Candidate Evaluation Report. If this question is left blank, the Municipal League will not include information on your civic involvement in the Report.
Check here if you would like the Municipal League to copy the first 500 characters from Question 4 to paste into this section.
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Although my practice and my family fill most of my waking hours, I try to devote time to the community. I am a regular speaker at a civics class at the Everett High School and make myself available to other non-profit organizations. |
Supplemental Judicial Candidate Questionnaire
1. Briefly describe the nature of your current practice/position including types of clients and areas, if any, of specialization. State what percentage involves civil litigation, criminal litigation, and/or nonlitigation.
2. Identify all your experience as a neutral decision maker (e.g. judge, permanent or pro tem, in any jurisdiction, administrative law judge, hearing officer, arbitrator, etc.)
3. If you have been a judge, identify any court committees on which you have served or administrative positions you have held, including dates.
4. List the approximate percentage of your time over the last five years you have made appearances in:
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1 |
% municipal court |
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4 |
% state district court |
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85 |
% superior court |
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% federal district court |
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5 |
% appellate court |
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% administrative tribunals |
5. Are you now an officer or director of any business enterprise other than your law practice? If so, what role do you expect to play if elected?
6. Have you ever been disciplined or determined to be in breach of professional conduct by any court, administrative agency, bar association, disciplinary committee, judicial conduct commission, or other professional group? Have you ever had a formal complaint filed against you with the WSBA? If so for either or both questions, give the particulars, including the outcome.
Finished!
If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (rebecca@munileague.org). Mail and fax numbers are listed below. If the League has not contacted you to schedule an interview, please call the League office at your earliest convenience.
Don’t forget to send the following to the Municipal League: a resume, a photo, campaign literature, and, if you are an incumbent, constituent newsletters and other materials. Please use the check-off list on the cover sheet of this packet to indicate which items you have sent.
Candidate Evaluation Coordinator: Rebecca Cooper