Cowlitz County judge appointed to state Court of Appeals

Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday that Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Anne Cruser has been appointed to the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division II.

She replaces Judge Jill Johanson, who is retiring at the end of the month, according to a news release issued by the governor’s office.

Cruser was appointed in 2017 to the Cowlitz County Superior Court. Before that, she supervised the appellate division of the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

She also served as judge pro tempore for five years in Cowlitz County District Court and owned a private law firm — focusing on appellate law with experience in criminal trial litigation and public records — for seven years, the news release states.

Cruser, who earned her law degree from Willamette University College of Law, started her career prosecuting felonies, domestic violence and misdemeanors in Clark and Cowlitz counties.

“Anne has a strong proven track record of hands-on legal experience — from a long career in appellate work to her more recent experience as a trial judge. She has a strong connection to the communities she’s served, and I look forward to her bringing her knowledge and experience to the Court of Appeals,” Inslee said in the news release.