Both candidates for Spokane County Superior Court Judge Position 8 say they have the best professional experience for the job.

Judge Marla Polin spent decades representing sex offenders in civil cases after a stint as a criminal defense attorney. She was appointed a Superior Court judge by Governor Jay Inslee in 2022 and has presided over numerous cases since then.

Challenger Brandon Casey has lived in Spokane since birth. He completed the clerkship program, an alternative to law school, and worked with his father for decades at the family firm, Casey Law, before taking over the practice in 2017. Casey primarily litigates civil cases throughout the state.

Casey is running because he believes the judges lack the necessary experience in civil law and that the judges could do more to improve the court’s efficiency.

“I think there could be more leadership in the court,” Casey said. “Coming from a private practice background where my life depends on how efficiently I work, I think we need more experience in the court from that perspective.”

Experience

Casey said he decided to run against Polin, specifically against other judges up for re-election, because she does not have the experience he wants on the court. He argued that most of the appointed judges previously served in public interest positions such as prosecutors or public defenders, and that expertise in civil law is important for the diversity of the bench.

Polin’s experience is largely in the area of ​​civil liability, a niche area of ​​the law, he argued.

Casey’s practice focused primarily on civil litigation. He argued that he had to handle complex cases with many documents and witnesses. His work also gave him experience in the jury selection process.

Polin disagreed with Casey’s description of her experience.

“The area of ​​law I’ve practiced is actually considered complex civil litigation,” Polin said. “I’ve tried numerous, numerous civil courts, so I have a tremendous amount of civil litigation experience.”

The civil detention cases Polin handles deal with the offender’s entire life story, resulting in tens of thousands of pages of documents per case. She says she thrives on handling these cases.

Polin said she has gained experience as a judge in all types of cases over the past two years. She is currently the presiding judge for family law.

“I mean, whatever, I’ve really seen it all on the bench,” Polin said. “He just can’t keep up.”

Efficiency

In most cases, especially civil and family law cases, Spokane courts experience significant delays, Casey said.

He argues that his experience in civil law allows him to process these cases more quickly and that he is willing to work overtime, speed up the collection of evidence and push for new systems to increase efficiency.

“This is a problem because our court system is experiencing constitutionally unnecessary delays,” Casey said. “We need leadership in this area so people don’t spend more money on adjournments.”

Casey mentioned an experience in Walla Walla that impressed him: There, a judge held hearings on motions early in the morning and late at night to speed up the process.

“I know this probably isn’t comfortable for everyone, but it ended the process,” Casey said. “It got things done, and it reduced the amount of time the jury had to spend there waiting for the lawyers to do their work.”

He hopes to replicate that strategy while working hard as a judge to issue decisions well ahead of the 90-day deadline given to judges.

Casey argued that judges should make their schedules more transparent beyond the already public lists so people know what they are doing.

He also wants the 13 elected judges to work more closely together to create standardized systems and find solutions to delays.

“I think that’s where we can focus. There are 13 people who can find a solution to this problem,” Casey said. “Instead of being 13 silos, we can be one community that’s really trying to help the Spokane community.”

Polin said she would like to see a greater modernization of the court, but in reality the judges’ ability to influence the court is limited.

When Polin had her own practice, she preferred to work on her laptop or iPad, she said, and she figured she could implement a similar policy in her legal department.

“One of the things I’ve learned from working with the government now is that there are a million layers of approval,” Polin said. “As much as I would personally like to do that and have asked for it, it’s not going to happen because you have to go through the budget and planning thoroughly to get the funds.”

She praised Casey’s willingness to work hard, but said it was not realistic for someone doing this job to hold hearings too early or too late.

“It’s also shortsighted to say, ‘I’ll stay late and come early.’ Because as much as I’d like to believe that the world revolves around the judge, it doesn’t,” Polin said. “There are so many other people necessary to make our courthouse and our courtrooms efficient. They’re not accountable to me.”

She mentioned security guards, court clerks and other personnel who are responsible for running the courthouse, do not work directly for the judges, are unionized and deserve a work-life balance.

Although judges often have to work overtime and read documents or sign warrants from home, Polin says it’s also important to find a healthy balance to make good decisions.

“I see this as a long-term commitment. This isn’t a race, is it? It’s a marathon and you don’t want to burn out,” Polin said. “Sure, I can pull all-nighters, I can stay really late and get up really early the week of your trial, but it’s not realistic to expect that to be sustainable in the long term.”

One of the aspects Polin loves about her job is discussing new court decisions with her colleagues and staying up to date on trends in jurisprudence. Although the judges work together, they are also their own elected officials, she said.

The chairman and vice-chairman are responsible for representing the interests of the court in general. Other justices serve on committees, such as Polin’s position on the Budget and Planning Committee, but beyond that their involvement is limited.

“But other than that, I don’t know if the non-senior judges who don’t hold such positions really have that much authority over such changes,” Polin said.

Regarding the transparency of her scheduling, Polin encouraged the public to stop by her office with any questions.

“We are public servants,” she said. “You are welcome to come by and ask any questions you may have.”

Recommendations

Casey is endorsed by the Spokane County Republican Party and has touted the support of other Republicans in his campaign materials, but that’s mostly because that party is interested in his campaign, not because he’s partisan, Casey said.

An upcoming fundraiser hosted by attorney Matt Albrecht is set to feature appearances by Republican politicians Michael Baumgartner and Mike Padden. Casey said the fundraiser will take place in Spokane Valley, where the vast majority of elected officials are Republican.

Casey’s brother and fellow attorney Marshall Casey previously clerked for former Rep. Matt Shea, who was ousted from the state House Republican leadership over domestic terrorism allegations. Marshall Casey remains a Republican district committeeman.

Brandon Casey said that to his knowledge his brother no longer has a relationship with Shea and that he appreciates his brother’s support.

Casey said he will accept anyone’s help and hopes to speak with the county Democratic Party next month. Republicans have responded more strongly to his message of reducing delays to protect people’s constitutional rights than people of other political persuasions, Casey said.

“This feels one-sided right now,” Casey said of the reaction to his message. “So I don’t think these issues are partisan, but rather that one particular party is more focused on making sure these things are addressed. I’m not going to turn down any kind of help.”

Casey said he often explains to his constituents that the office is nonpartisan and why that is so important for an impartial judiciary, while also promoting efficiency and a focus on the Constitution.

Polin said she is proud of the endorsements she receives from the Spokane Police Guild, the Spokane County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the entire Superior Court, and local prosecutors and public defenders, among others.

Bipartisanship is key to this office, she said.

“We are not talking about my personal opinion, because my personal opinion does not count,” Polin said. “As a judge, I promise you and the community that I will follow the law. It does not matter if I like the law. It does not matter if I like the litigant. I will follow the law.”