Gov. Inslee picks top-ranked family law judge for Tri-Cities Superior Court post

A Tri-Cities family court judge is Gov. Jay Inslee’s top choice to replace a longtime Superior Court judge who is retiring this month.

Inslee announced Friday he will appoint Court Commissioner Jacqueline Stam to be the newest member of the Benton-Franklin Superior Court bench.

She will replace Judge Carrie Runge, who is retiring July 30.

Stam has been a bicounty Superior Court commissioner since 2011, deciding cases focused on family law, probate, guardianship and juvenile court.

“For a decade, Jackie has demonstrated her fitness for the bench as one of the court’s commissioners,” Inslee said in a news release. “She is ready to take this next professional step.”

Attorney poll

A local legal poll showed fellow lawyers overwhelmingly selected Stam as their “overall choice” to be the next judge, based on legal ability, judicial temperament and relevant legal experience.

Eight Tri-Cities attorneys applied to fill the vacancy and interviews were held last month. The other candidates were: Shelley Ajax; Julie Long; Danielle Purcell; Diana Ruff; Talesha Sams; Jeffrey Sperline; and Alan Tindell.

Stam received 38 votes in the poll conducted by the Benton & Franklin Counties Bar Association. Ruff was ranked second, followed by Ajax and Long.

Before becoming a judge, Stam was a senior partner in private practice at Cowan Moore Stam Luke & Peterson in Richland, where she focused on family law, guardianships, probate, estate planning and mediations.

She also served as a guardian ad litem, is active in Law Day activities and volunteers for the YMCA Mock Trial Competition. She also previously served on the Benton County Parks Board.

She grew up in Illinois and earned her bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona University and her law degree at Gonzaga University in 1993.

Judge Runge will have served 17 years on the bicounty court when she retires half a year into a 4-year term.

When she was appointed in 2003 by then-Gov. Gary Locke, she became the court’s second female judge, after Judge Carolyn A. Brown.

Superior Court has seven judges — who hear felony and gross misdemeanor crimes and civil cases — and three court commissioners.