Bench candidates make their cases

Judge Dennis Yule has occupied a seat on the Benton-Franklin Superior Court bench for 22 years.

But his retirement at the end of the year will leave a void, one that three candidates are eager to fill.

Lawyers Sal Mendoza Jr. and Bruce Spanner and Superior Court Commissioner Jerri Potts are vying to be the next judge in the bicounty judicial system.

All three have said it will be difficult to replace Yule -- the most seasoned judge on the bench -- but each believes they have the experience to make informed decisions that will affect others' lives.

A recent poll completed by 79 members of the Benton-Franklin Bar Association gave Mendoza an 83 percent rating, followed by 71 percent for Potts and 66 percent for Spanner.

The ratings were based on 10 questions, including professionalism, judicial experience/ legal ability, work ethic and the ability to be decisive.

The primary election is Aug. 19, with the top two candidates likely to advance to the general election Nov. 4.

Mendoza, the first to announce his candidacy, has said he wants to become the first Latino judge in Benton and Franklin counties.

He is under contract with Benton County to represent indigent defendants, but also handles landlord/tenant law, divorces, adoptions, contract disputes and civil matters in his private Kennewick practice.

Mendoza has 11 years of experience as a lawyer, spending one year as an assistant attorney general and one year as a deputy prosecutor in Franklin County. He also has helped out as a pro tem judge for several years in juvenile, municipal, district and superior courts.

Mendoza helped start the Juvenile Drug Court program six years ago and has been a proponent of equal access to justice by serving on the Benton-Franklin Legal Aid Society board.

Mendoza and his wife Mia, a juvenile defense attorney, live in Kennewick with their two sons.

Potts was appointed a court commissioner in 2002, and since then has presided over domestic, family law and juvenile cases and mental health hearings. She also works as a settlement judicial officer on civil and domestic cases.

She believes in holding people accountable for their actions, but also giving them opportunities to succeed through specialized courts and other resources.

Potts started practicing law in 1991. She was a state assistant attorney general in the Kennewick office for seven years and was the lead attorney representing the Division of Children and Family Services in protecting abused and neglected children.

She then had a private practice for four years and served as a judge pro tem in juvenile court.

Potts and her husband Brent live in Kennewick. They have two adult sons and three grandchildren.

Spanner first knew in high school that he wanted to be an attorney, and now says he is ready to take the next step by putting his years of service and legal skills to work as a judge.

A partner in the Kennewick law firm of Miller, Mertens, Spanner and Comfort, he has been practicing for 24 years. The firm specializes in civil and administrative law matters, like real estate, employment, personal injury, insurance defense and product liability.

Spanner has worked as a judge pro tem in Superior Court and Benton County District Court. He believes judges should consider all cases important and treat people with dignity and respect.

He sought appointment to the Benton County District Court bench in 1995, but decided he needed more experience before taking another run at it.

Spanner and his wife Mary live in Richland, and have an adult daughter and son.

More information on the candidates can be found at votingforjudges.org, a nonpartisan website on all judicial elections in Washington.