Six outstanding candidates for King County Superior Court

Six seats on the bench are contested at King County Superior Court, and all six may be decided in the primary election of Aug. 19. All are nonpartisan. All but one are open seats, as lawyers are reluctant to challenge a sitting judge.

The one incumbent with a challenger is in Position 26: Laura Middaugh, 59, who challenged and beat incumbent Jeannette Burrage six years ago. Challenger Matthew Hale notes that Middaugh was once called "highhanded" in a press report; Middaugh allows that "my face shows what I think" and that she has been "in touch with a demeanor specialist."

She is probably the best option. Hale has been a lawyer only four years and is not qualified to be a Superior Court judge.

In the five remaining races, all the candidates come with good qualifications. In choosing our favorites, we have aimed for a mix — not all prosecutors, not all defense attorneys and not all government employees. A mix of endorsements from Democrats and Republicans was also a plus, as were ratings of various legal-minded groups. Having a strong list of donors also helped.

One note on the lack of diversity: We offer here a list that is all women — but 78 percent of the candidates are women.

For Position 37, we support Jean Rietschel, 58, who has been a Seattle Municipal Court judge for 12 years and has the highest ratings of the King County Bar Association and the Municipal League. Before becoming a judge she was a public defender, a useful background on a bench heavy with former prosecutors.

Her opponents, civil litigator Nic Corning and former prosecutor Barbara Mack, would probably make good judges, but Rietschel already is one.

For similar reasons, Julia Garratt, 54, wins our endorsement for Position 22. She has been a Superior Court judge pro tem — a substitute judge — for six years. She was a deputy prosecutor and a public defender, giving her a feel for both sides. She is on the state Parole Board.

Her experience outmatches opponent Rebeccah Graham, a pro tem judge, and Holly Hill, who has spent much of her career teaching courtroom practice rather than engaging in it.

For Position 10 we endorse Regina Cahan, 46, King County senior deputy prosecuting attorney. All the candidates in these races are bright, but Cahan is exceptionally so. She has prosecuted capital cases and has worked on a battered-women's project.

Opponent Les Ponomarchuk, Superior Court commissioner, is also a strong candidate. Private-practice attorney Jean Bouffard, who entered the race late, is less competitive.

Two other government attorneys are running for Position 1: Tim Bradshaw, a prosecutor with King County, and Sue Parisien of the state Attorney General's Office.

Both are fine candidates, but we endorse Susan Amini, 50, for some special reasons. An immigrant educated in Paris and Tehran, she left Iran at the time of Ayatollah Khomeini and went to law school in Maryland. In Bellevue she built up a private practice in family law, personal injury, immigration and criminal defense. She knows the problems of immigrants and has become an expert on the rights of the disabled, having had to advocate for her legally blind son, now a Rhodes scholar. She also has raised more money than both her opponents combined, and from a long list of contributors.

For Position 53 we support Mariane Spearman, 51, who was elected to District Court in 2000, 2002 and 2006, has a solid background in handling jury trials, and is ready to move up.

Opponent Ann Danieli, who has been a public defender, a prosecutor and judge pro tem, is also a fine candidate.