Poll results released Friday by the Clark County Bar Association show members overwhelmingly favor Superior Court Commissioner Jennifer Snider to replace retiring Superior Court Judge James Rulli.
Snider is one of six candidates vying for judicial appointment to Rulli’s seat, which he will vacate May 1. The other candidates who submitted applications to the governor’s office are: Assistant Attorney General Tsering Cornell; Jeffrey Keddie, a staff attorney at Northwest Justice Project; Senior Deputy Prosecutor Rachael Rogers of the appellate unit; Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor Emily Sheldrick; and Senior Deputy Prosecutor Kasey Vu of the major crimes unit.
Out of 213 respondents, 123, or about 57.75 percent, said Snider is their “choice” for Rulli’s replacement, according to the preference poll. She leads Vu (15.02 percent), the local bar association’s next choice, by 42.73 percentage points. Sheldrick trailed Vu by 2.34 percentage points, at 12.68 percent.
The margin between Snider and the other candidates appears to be the largest of any recent preference poll for Superior Court judge candidates, according to Columbian archives.
Respondents gave Snider the highest ratings (exceptionally well qualified) in all categories: legal ability (105), temperament (110), integrity (108) and relevant legal experience (131).
“I’m extremely honored and humbled my colleagues have confidence in my ability. It’s a good day to have that support from your colleagues,” Snider said in a phone interview Friday. “I was expecting to do well in the bar poll because I’m an acting court commissioner, but I didn’t know there was that much disparity in terms of the last bar polls. I’m happy with the results.”
Snider said she had her initial interview with the governor’s counsel Friday.
“I’m looking forward to the next step if I do get the appointment, and if not, I will continue in my duties as court commissioner, which I love,” she said.
Snider, who was appointed as a full-time Superior Court commissioner in August 2013, presides over any business of the court assigned by the judges. For nearly five years, she was primarily assigned to juvenile offender and family law matters. But now, she’s also on a dependency rotation, where she has trial settings three days a week and a full day of review hearings and motions, in addition to Family Treatment Court.
The preference poll was distributed after a judicial forum held March 29, and is just one factor Gov. Jay Inslee will consider in vetting the candidates.
In Inslee’s past three local judicial appointments, he selected John Fairgrieve, who was favored by the local bar association, and Bernard Veljacic and Derek Vanderwood, who were not the bar association’s top poll choices, according to Columbian archives.
Inslee is expected to reach a decision on a successor in a few weeks, spokeswoman Tara Lee said Monday.
“Our legal staff will be meeting with candidates and then make a recommendation to the governor,” she previously told The Columbian.
Superior Court judges are elected. After someone is appointed, they will need to file for candidacy the week of May 13 to 17 to run for the unexpired term (Rulli’s term ends in 2020). If they are elected in November, they will retain the position and would then have to run for re-election in November 2020 to a full four-year term.
