SECTION I               

 

BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION

 

1.      Name as it will appear on the ballot

 

First Name

Middle Initial or Nick Name

Last Name

Barbara

A

Madsen

 

2.   Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):

 

Supreme Court Pos. 5

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              No

 

 

4.   How long have you resided in this district/city?

 

Life-long Washington resident

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

1953-1993

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?         Partisan      Nonpartisan         

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:       

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

 

Campaign Name:

 

Committee to Re-elect Barbara Madsen

 

Address:

 

P.O. Box 46752

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Seattle, Wa. 98146

 

Campaign Phone:

 

253.905.3272

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

     

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

madsencampaign@earthlink.net

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

www.barbaramadsen.org

 

 

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

 

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)

Judge

 

elective

 

1988-1992

 

Presiding judge for 2 consecutive terms; chair of Domestic Violence Co-ordinating Committee;member King County Criminal Justice Roundtable

 

Justice

 

elective

 

1993-current

 

Acting Chief Justice; Chair of Gender and Justice Commission; Chair of Court Rules Committee; Chair of Personnel Committee, Chair of Circulation Committee

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 

2.   If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

 

Office Title

Year of Run

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


 


SECTION III

 

In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge.  These are defined as follows:

 

  • Involvement: What has the candidate done previously in family, neighborhood, community, volunteer work, employment or public life to suggest readiness to accomplish challenging objectives? How do these activities demonstrate readiness for the challenges unique to the office sought?

 

  • Effectiveness: Has the candidate demonstrated promise of being productive in the office sought?  Has the candidate shown the ability to work with other people?

 

  • Character: Do the candidate's personal traits show the ability to take on the responsibilities of campaigning for and holding the public office she or he is seeking? Is the candidate a leader, participant or observer?  Is the candidate trustworthy, reliable and candid?

 

§         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.)

 

      The Supreme Court’s role is to protect the Constitutional rights of our citizens, interpret laws consistent with legislative intent, or in the case of  initiatives, the will of the people, and administer the courts fairly and effectively.  The Justices of the Supreme Court are responsible for setting the agenda for all of Washington's courts.  In 1992, when I first ran, there had been only 2 women to serve in the court's 110 year history.  Because I believe it takes both the male and female points of view to get the human point of view, I decided that the judicial branch needed more diversity.  After 12 years on the court I have earned a reputation for leadership and a strong work ethic in carrying out the work of the court, deciding over 1500 cases and and chairing the court's most important committees.

      Since joining the court I have succeeded in affecting the court's focus and energy.  I currently serve as Chair of the Supreme Court's Commission on Gender and Justice and the Board for Judicial Administration (BJA).  The Gender and Justice Commission is responsible for judicial training; its mission is eradicating bias in the courts.  Under my tenure the commission has produced significant training on issues of domestic violence and rape, including adapting the national curriculum "When Bias Compounds: Insuring Equal Justice for Women of Color in the Courts" and "Overcoming Obstacles to Justice for Immigrants and their Families."  Currently, the commission is working on issues affecting the LGBT community, sponsoring a program at the Fall Judicial Conference in Spokane on marriage, adoption, domestic violence, hate-crimes and disaffected youth.  The Commission has conducted the Color of Justice program, bringing students of color together with judges and lawyers of color to encourage careers in law.  We conducted a Glass Ceiling Study and are working toward implementation. Last fall I worked to pass and implement SB6161, which puts in place procedures for dealing with domestic violence when the perpetrator is a police officer.  The BJA is the administrative arm of the courts and formulates policy for the judicial branch.  The BJA has succeeded in coordinating the legislative and policy agendas for the entire court system.  We have undertaken the enormous task of Court Funding by establishing a broad based Task Force to make recommendations for identifying and funding all the essential functions of the courts.

    I am running for re-election so that I can continue the efforts I have begun toward ensuring that all citizens are treated fairly. regardless of background or economic situation.

 


 

2.      Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.

 

Courage, integrity, balanced legal training, a strong work ethic, common sense, compassion, and the ability to work with others are essential judicial qualities.   As a working mother I have learned balance, patience, and common sense.  Additionally, parenting a disabled child has fostered my compassion for others.  Professionally, since 1977, I have been a defense attorney, prosecutor and judge, giving me the balanced experience necessary to understand the arguments from all sides and see the merit of each.  Appointed Special Prosecutor, I was responsible for developing the child abuse component of Seattle’s Family Violence Project.  This effort required inter-agency cooperation and coordination, calling on my ability to collaborate.  As the first woman to gain a seat on the Supreme by election, running a state-wide campaign took enormous courage and hard work.  Since coming to the court I have written a number of opinions that have generated hate mail and unfavorable press.  This has have required my courage in never allowing personal concerns to deter me from following the law as I see it.   Finally, I have never forgotten why I ran for a seat on the court and have attempted to implement changes that will lead to a more fair and equal system of justice for this State. 

 

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. 

 

1)  Developing the child-abuse component of the Family Violence Project.  This effort filled an important need in the Seattle City Attorney's office.  Prosecution of child abuse is difficult under any circumstances but where the injuries are not long lasting it is nearly impossible.  Working with the City Council, Department of Social and Health Services and the Seattle Municipal Court, I was able to bring these cases to successful prosecution, providing protection for children while also providing services to improve parenting skills of the care-takers.

2)  As Chair of the Gender and Justice Commission I have expended enormous energy on judicial education around issues of bias.  When I assumed the chair, the women of color on the commission voiced concern that the commission had never come to grips with the view that the women's movement was a "white women's" movement and that women of color have unique issues of bias to contend with.  With my commission members we developed education and outreach programs for women of color and have many ongoing projects to address these concerns including the Color of Justice Program, Overcoming Obstacles for Immigrants and their Families and a collaborative effort wit the State Bar on a Diversity Initiative to encourage law firms to hire, retain, and promote women and people of color.

3)  Following the 2004 Brame murder, I helped form a task force to look for solutions to police perpetrated domestic violence.  By its end we had over 70 professionals and citizens looking at the problem and recommending procedures for investigation and transarency when police are accused of domestic violence.  The result of months of collaboration between police and community groups was SB6161, requiring all police agencies in the state to have such policies.  It passed unanamously in 2004.

           


 

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.

 

     Following the 2004 Brame murder, I helped form a task force to look for solutions to police perpetrated domestic violence.  By its end we had over 70 professionals and citizens recommending procedures for investigation and transarency when police are accused of domestic violence.  The result of months of collaboration between police and community groups was SB6161, requiring all police agencies in the state to have such policies.  

     I currently serve as Chair of the Supreme Court's Commission on Gender and Justice and the Board for Judicial Administration (BJA).  The Gender and Justice Commission is responsible for judicial training; its mission is eradicating bias in the courts.  During my tenure the commission has produced significant training on issues of domestic violence and rape, including adapting the national curriculum "When Bias Compounds: Insuring Equal Justice for Women of Color in the Courts" and "Overcoming Obstacles to Justice for Immigrants and their Families."  Currently, the commission is working on issues affecting the LGBT community for the Fall Judicial Conference.  The Commission has conducted the Color of Justice program, bringing students of color together with judges and lawyers of color to encourage careers in law.  We collaborated in conducting a Glass Ceiling Study and are working toward implementation. The BJA is the administrative arm of the courts and formulates policy for the judicial branch.  The BJA has succeeded in coordinating the legislative and policy agendas for the entire court system.  We have undertaken the enormous task of court funding reform by establishing a broad based task force to make recommendations for identifying and funding all the essential functions of the courts.

    I  have volunteered with Seattle and Tacoma and Seattle schools doing everthing from chairing the coupon drive to Judges in the Classroom programs teaching the judicial system to the students.  I have been active in the PTA and was nominated for the Golden Acorn Award for contributions to the schools.  I was an instructor with the U.S. Navy Sea Cadets teaching on issues of the Code of Military Conduct.  I am an active member of  the National Association of Women Judges and serve on NJEP, the education arm of the association, recently bringing the program, Genetics and Reproductive Law to Seattle.  I serve on Gonzaga Law School Board of Visitors, and volunteer at Tacoma Rescue Mission where I serve meals to the homeless.  I have received Washington Women Lawyer’s Vanguard Award in 1998 and 2002, Seattle University’s 2003 Woman of the Year, the Equal Justice Coalition’s Judicial Award for 2004, the Department of the Army’s Certificate of Achievement and was recently honored by the Bar Association for my work on the Diversity Initiative.

 

 

 

  1. Please describe the duties of the office you seek.  Which are the most important duties and why?

 

The Supreme Court decides the most important issues facing Washington.  It is our duty to read, listen, and work with colleagues to reach decisions that are fair and consistent with the directives of the Constitution and the laws of Washington.  It is also the duty of the court to promulgate the rules by with the courts operate, to oversee discipline of the lawyers and judges of the State, and to administer the justice system.  There is no one duty that is more important as each is integral to making the system work effectively and efficiently.


EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

 

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.

 

Hazen H.S., 1970; W.W.S.U., 1970-71; U.W., 1971-74, B.A. Pol. Sci.; Gonzaga U. Law, 1974-1977, JD.

 

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY

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.

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

I have served on the Supreme Court for 12 years.  We review both civil and criminal cases.    

 

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.)

 

 Court commissioner for Seattle Municipal Court from 1986 to 1988; Judge, Seattle Municipal Court 1988-1992; Supreme Court Justice 1993-current.   

 

3.   If you have been a judge, identify any court committees on which you have served or administrative positions you have held, including dates.

 

 1990-1992 King County Criminal Justice Roundtable; Domestic Violence Coordinating Committee; acted as the Court's Administrator for one year between 1991 and 1992 while seeking a replacement for the departing administrator.  Presiding Judge of the Seattle Municipal Court 1990-1992--responsible for the court's budget and for working with the Seattle City Council.

1993-95--Supreme Court budget committee; Chair of Rule Committee; member BJA.  !994 elected Acting Chief Justice, responsible for acting in the Chief Justice's place when necessary.  1997--current-- appointed to chair Gender and Justice Commission, Court Personnel Committee, Circulation Committee, Internal Rules Committee and appointed member of budget committee, BJA, and Commission on Supreme Court Reports.     

 


 

4.   List the approximate percentage of your time over the last five years you have made appearances in:

 

  n/a  

% municipal court

 

n/a

% state district court

 

n//a

% superior court

 

n/a

% federal district court

 

100

% appellate court

 

n/a

% 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?

 

  n/a  

 

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.

 

no    


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR CAMPAIGN!

 

THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF KING COUNTY

 

Candidate Evaluation Coordinator:  Rebecca Cooper

 

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224                  Phone: 206-622-8333                Email: rebecca@munileague.org

Seattle, WA 98104-1614                        Fax: 425-671-0506                        Website: www.munileague.org