District Court 1 Judge Rick Porter is once again campaigning to maintain his position. Having won the last three elections as judge and in the midst of his 12th year, Porter’s pursuit to “change lives for the better” as judge continues.
Following his completion of law school at the University of Puget Sound, Porter went to work as a public defender in Wenatchee, but didn’t stay in order to join the United States Air Force as a Judge Advocate General.
Porter spent time in both Germany and Italy while in the military, but after meeting his wife and the makings of family began to appear on the horizon, Porter decided to return to Washington and eventually to Port Angeles in 1998.
Prior to becoming the judge for District Court 1 in 2002, Porter worked for the prosecuting attorney’s office where he acted as the senior felony deputy.
Despite having spent the majority of his career practicing criminal law, Porter has experience at a variety of courts including District Court, Superior Court, Appellate Court and military court-martials.
After practicing at both District and Superior Courts, Porter prefers working within the District Court because he feels he gets to “intervene in peoples’ lives at a much earlier stage in their criminal behavior,” and thus has a greater opportunity to correct criminal behavior earlier on, Porter said.
“To a large extent the judge sets the standard for a community based on how they administer their court and how much accountability is applied,” Porter said. “Unlike Superior Court, the judges in District Court has a great deal of discretion as to how they are going to administer their court.”
Given the wide range and types of cases the District Court deals with, Porter handled more than 9,000 cases in 2013. Though, Porter admits it is partly this sheer volume that keeps him interested in the position as District Court 1 Judge because “the thing that is most satisfying about the job is the lives you can change,” Porter said.
The satisfaction of positively impacting an individual’s life may be one of the driving forces behind Porter’s desire to maintain his position as judge, but this does not happen without challenges. One of the greatest challenges Porter faces in District Court is “inner-generational crime,” Porter said.
“There have actually been times when I’ve had a grandfather, a father and a son in jail at the same time for the same type of criminal behavior,” Porter said. “And that is so hard to deal with because when somebody grows up in an environment and it’s filled with drugs, alcohol and criminal behavior it becomes the norm. It’s very difficult to correct that kind of behavior when that’s all that individual has ever known.”
In addition to the challenge of dealing with inner-generational crime, Porter said the “one most common denominator” for criminal behavior and recidivism is linked to individuals that don’t complete high school.
“I think this is significant problem in Clallam County, especially with the limitation of jobs for the younger demographic already,” Porter said. “When somebody drops out of high school and they are no longer competitive and can’t work, it then becomes a cycle of poverty and crime that we see.”
To promote those that never received a high school diploma to get a general equivalency diploma (GED), Porter recently has implemented the incentive of reducing up to $2,000 for individuals that owe fines, but choose to get their GED.
“If we could decrease the high school drop-out rate, or at least get people to go back and get their GED and be employable so they can get a job, that would have the biggest impact on reducing crime in our community,” Porter said.
One of the most well-known programs Porter established as District Court 1 Judge, and one that his campaign opponent, Cathy Marshall, would prefer to replace by utilizing a collection agency is the Pay or Appear program.
“Nobody goes to jail because they can’t pay their fines with this program,” Porter said.
People on the Pay or Appear program only goes to jail if they refuse to pay their fines, refuse to do community service work and refuse to show-up to court when they’re ordered to be in court, Porter said.
Some of the benefits of the Pay or Appear program include increased revenues, increased community service and increased options for the offender, Porter said.
“Really, the most important part of this Pay or Appear program is the issue of accountability,” Porter said. “The court should take responsibility to make sure the defendant does what they’re actually ordered to do,” Porter said.
Although Porter still recognizes challenges within the community, Porter is overall pleased with the progress he’s made at District Court 1, such as increased efficiency with processing time.
“Over the years we have established one of the most effective courts in the state,” Porter said. “And I would like to continue to improve.”
2014 Clallam County Elections
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Ballots are being mailed out to all registered voters on Oct. 15, and mail ballots must be post-marked on or before Election Day to be counted.
Drop boxes at the following sites will accept ballots until 8 p.m. Nov. 4.
• Auditor’s Office, Clallam County Courthouse
Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Election Day: 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Clallam County Courthouse — Outside, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles
• Sequim Village Shopping Center, near the City’s utility payment drop box in the JCPenney’s parking lot
2014 Elections coverage:
District Court I Judge — Cathy Marshall
