PORT ANGELES — Suzanne Hayden and Dave Neupert outlined their visions for Clallam County District Court 1 in a candidate’s forum last week, each saying they would bring change to the bench.
Hayden and Neupert are battling for the judicial seat now held by Rick Porter, who is not seeking a fifth four-year term.
Port Angeles-based District Court 1 has jurisdiction over misdemeanor cases, traffic infractions and small claims matters from the east end of the county to the west side of Lake Crescent.
“There is nothing that I’m going to keep the same in that courtroom,” said Hayden.
She is a Clallam Public Defender attorney who has worked in the local court system for the past 23 years.
“If you want it to stay the same, if you like the way Judge Porter has done stuff, then you vote for my opponent. If you want change, you vote for me.”
Neupert, a District Court 1 judge pro tem and court commissioner, said he is the only candidate with judicial experience. He said he was rated No. 1 in every category of the 2018 Clallam County Bar Association poll.
“I’ve been practicing law in Clallam County for 25 years, and folks, I’m just getting started,” Neupert told a crowd of about 60 at the League of Women Voters of Clallam County forum at the Port Angeles Library on Thursday.
“I will put my experience as the only candidate with judicial experience to work. I’ll put my community involvement to work to serve you folks to the best of my ability.”
Neupert used his sentencing philosophy as an example to answer an opening question about the definition of justice.
Neupert said he considers the seriousness of an offense, victim impacts, whether the defendant poses a risk of re-offending and whether he or she expresses remorse as factors at sentencing.
Gross misdemeanors are punishable by up to 364 days in jail, he said.
“I do my best to stay consistent,” Neupert said.
Hayden answered the question by saying she considers justice as a “need to listen to both sides.”
“Almost every story, when you listen to it, is going to be different,” Hayden said.
“The crimes are the same but the reasons for the crimes are different. And that’s what I want to listen to, to be able to figure out how to hold the person accountable while figuring out how I can can get them out of this cycle as well.”
Later in the forum, Neupert said justice is “following the law, not making up the law.”
The candidates were asked whether they would agree to standard Drug Court contracts, including an opt-out period and medically-assisted treatment.
“By not agreeing to that, (Porter) is effectively saying there’s no Drug Court,” Hayden said.
Drug Court is a diversion program that gives nonviolent offenders a chance to have their charges dismissed if they complete a sobriety program.
Drug Court has changed the lives of hundreds of graduates in Clallam County Superior Court, which includes the Juvenile Court, proponents say.
“My position is the District Court judge should make the best use of all available therapeutic court modes,” Neupert said.
“It is not a one size fits all approach”
“I don’t approach this issue the way that any other judge, past or current, perhaps approaches it,” Neupert added.
“Certainly, my decisions going forward aren’t bound by the decisions that anybody’s made previously.”
Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias asked the candidates whether they would be willing to work more closely with the judge in Forks-based Clallam County District Court 2 to save money and improve services.
Port Angeles attorney John Black and current Superior Court Judge Erik Rohrer are running for the District 2 seat being vacated by Judge John Doherty.
“I’ve known each of them for years,” Neupert said.
”I have respect for both of them, and frankly, I look forward to working with whomever is elected there. I would work with the judge in District Court 2 to look at best implementation of the 24-7 sobriety monitoring program.”
Hayden said Porter has “made a decision not to have cooperation” with Doherty.
“That’s one of the reasons that we have a $65,000 pro tem budget, which is outrageous,” Hayden said.
”It’s the largest it’s ever been. We don’t need to pay that much for substitute judges.”
Hayden said she, too, has a longstanding working relationship with Black and Rohrer.
“I don’t see is as an issue no matter who is in,” Hayden said.
”But that’s exactly what we’re going to be doing, is having the spirit of cooperation to deal with conflicts.”
Clallam County Commissioner Randy Johnson asked the candidates how they would address the mental health component of the court system. He used an example of a defendant who spent 400 days in and out of jail two years before his suicide.
Neupert said some defendants are required to wait for mental health evaluations or competency restoration at Western State Hospital.
“When I’m on the bench, cases are not delayed unnecessarily,” said Neupert, who is vice chair of the Peninsula Behavioral Health board.
”I know at the state level, the Western State Hospital has had pressure put on it to make sure that it gets its cases resolved in a more timely manner.”
Hayden said she would work with mental health providers and volunteers to help bridge the gap in services.
“There’s this glitch where we don’t know where all of these services are, and that’s why we have to get together and figure out who’s willing to do what,” Hayden said.
“We’re kind of a black hole as far as mental health right now, but if we can look at these smaller agencies and work with people who want to volunteer, that’s the way to go.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.