WA appeals court judge with Tri-City ties steps back, will serve in other ways

George Fearing won’t give up his love of the law when he steps away from his appellate judge position.

The longtime Tri-City attorney served for 12 years as one of five members of the Spokane-based Washington State Court of Appeals, Division III, handling cases from Eastern Washington.

But the now 68-year-old Fearing told the Tri-City Herald that a combination of health concerns and a desire to spend more time with his family made him decide to step away from his position on Jan. 1.

While he’s leaving the bench, he’s not leaving the practice of law, he said.

“I’m going to keep my law license and help people,” Fearing told the Tri-City Herald.

Fearing was attending law school in 1981 at University of Washington when attorney Dennis Sweeney offered him a summer internship with a Tri-City firm.

After he graduated, he returned to Kennewick to begin practicing law at the same firm. Sweeney left in 1991 when he was elected to the Washington State Court of Appeals.

When Sweeney retired in 2013, Gov. Jay Inslee picked Fearing to replace him. The position represents nine counties, including Benton and Franklin counties.

The son of a Seventh-day Adventist minister, Fearing said when he was sworn in that the law was his ministry.

“George has a long history of serving the people of the Tri-Cities and is widely respected throughout the local bar community for his legal ability,” Inslee said of Fearing’s appointment.

Since Fearing’s appointment in 2013, he’s won three elections — one to serve the remainder of Sweeney’s term and two full six-year terms. His last election was in 2022.

Fearing told the Tri-City Herald that he loved the reading and writing that makes up much of the work of appeals court judges.

The five judges are tasked with reviewing judgments made by superior courts. Normally a panel of three is picked to make the decision.

He also had opportunities to step in to serve as a substitute judge in superior courts. That is something he would like to continue doing after his retirement.

Fearing mainly focused on civil law when he practiced in the Tri-Cities, so he needed to spend many hours researching case law.

“I think our court system is too punitive, and it’s bothered me and worried me as I’ve become more and more acquainted with the system,” he said.

Fearing expects that he will have more time to pursue other interests, including travel and helping to raise his grandchild.

Newly Appointed Judge

Gov. Bob Ferguson picked Grant County Superior Court Judge Tyson Hill to replace Fearing.

Hill, 46, will serve until the next election, and then need to run for the remaining portion of Fearing’s term.

The outgoing judge applauded the pick.

“He will be a wonderful replacement,” Fearing said. “I believe he will be better than me. I’m delighted that he was chosen.”

Hill spent four years as a deputy prosecutor before being picked to become the county’s third district court judge. A position he served in for seven years before being picked in 2021 to replace retiring Judge John Antosz on the superior court bench.

He co-founded and presided over the county’s first therapeutic drug court, and regularly served as a pro tem judge for Division III of the court of appeals.

“Judge Hill will be an excellent addition to Division III of the Court of Appeals,” Ferguson said in a release. “His commitment to our justice system combined with his broad legal experience will service Washingtonians well.”

Hill told the Tri-City Herald that he always had a passion for the appeals courts, stemming from his time clerking at the state Supreme Court.

The work done by the appeals court can strengthen people’s confidence in the law, he said.

“It really is a dream for me,” Hill said. “I’m just really passionate about our justice system.. I think it’s a way to make a difference, so that people know there are judges that really care about making sure that laws are applied in a way that makes sense.”