OLYMPIA — King County Superior Court Judge Mary Yu has been sworn in as the newest member of the Washington state Supreme Court, marking the first time the high court has had an openly gay justice.
Yu was sworn in by Chief Justice Barbara Madsen Tuesday afternoon following a symposium on juvenile justice presented in the court’s chambers by the Washington State Minority & Justice Commission, on which Yu is a co-chairwoman.
Yu, whose mother is from Mexico and father is from China, is also the first Asian American and first female Hispanic member of the court. She is the sixth woman on the current nine-member court and the second ethnic minority. Justice Steven Gonzalez was appointed to the court in late 2011, was sworn in in early 2012, and was elected to a full term later that same year.
Yu was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee earlier this month. She replaces Justice James Johnson, who announced his retirement last month because of health issues.
