I graduated from Gonzaga University Law School in 1976, took the Washington State Bar Exam in the fall of that year, and, pending the results of the bar exam, worked as a legal intern for Pat McMullen, the Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney. I tried cases representing the State in both the District Court and the Juvenile Court. After passing the bar exam, I was sworn in as a member of the Washington State Bar Association in January 1977.
Skagit County, 1977
An article in the January 6, 1977, Courier-Times about my appointment as deputy prosecuting attorney quotes me as saying I respected District 3 Judge Hugh Ridgway because “He’s a country lawyer. He knows the law. He’s competent.” Here I was, just a couple of months out of law school, endorsing a veteran judge. Get a grip on yourself, Tom
San Juan County, 1977 – 1979
After nine months as a Deputy PA, and having been called as a special DPA in San Juan County to prosecute a felony case in Juvenile Court, I was encouraged to apply to become the San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney to fill the vacancy following the resignation of Mike Redman. Vacancies are filled by a vote of the Board of County Commissioners, who selected me. I arrived in Friday Harbor by ferry and returned home the same day with a new job.
San Juan County Superior Court Judge Howard Patrick also served as Island County Judge and happened to be on the bench in Friday Harbor the day I was appointed PA. No time was wasted in conducting a swearing-in ceremony in his courtroom. He was a great jurist who was admired and respected by the lawyers and other judges.
Front page of the September 1977 issue of the San Juan Journal, which is about my appointment as San Juan County PA. It was a one-attorney office with a legal secretary as support staff. The PA’s office was across the street from the Courthouse in Friday Harbor.
One thing I did not anticipate when I accepted the appointment as PA was that I would also become the County Coroner. This montage of articles includes a photo of me at the scene of a plane crash at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island that claimed the lives of four people.
Living on San Juan Island provided challenges and opportunities in abundance. Accessing the island is on top of the list of challenges. The solutions we found are explained here.
Skagit County, 1979 – 1986
December 1979, in Superior Court after a hearing on the proposed nuclear plant advisory ballot. At the counsel table are Pat McMullen, Tom Moser, Bill Nielsen, and Paul Luvera. In the background is Skagit County Commissioner Bud Norris.
I returned to Skagit County in 1979 to accept an appointment as Chief Civil Deputy by my friend and mentor, Pat McMullen, Skagit County Prosecutor. Two years later, Pat resigned, and I was appointed to fill his term as the elected Prosecuting Attorney. I had formed a relationship with the Board of Commissioners during my time representing the County as Chief Civil Deputy. Most of my work was land-use matters, resolving civil litigation and making sure the County stayed out of trouble. One of my first tasks as the new PA was to hire a new Chief Civil Deputy. Thankfully, John Moffat applied for the position and was selected. John had a background in legal services and became a valuable asset to the PA’s office.
Skagit County Superior Court Judges Harry Follman and Walter Deirelein swore in three elected officials in December 1980. Skagit County Commissioners Jerry Mansfield and Bud Norris were both sworn in for a second term. I was sworn in for my first full four-year term as Prosecuting Attorney.
My public office days ended with the 1986 election. To the left is a portion of a campaign flyer that included a photo of me with John Boynton, Skagit County Sheriff, who became a friend during my tenure as prosecutor. The voters set me free, but at the time it was an unwelcomed interruption in both my career and personal life.
