Judge Churchill earns appointment

Island County Superior Court Judge Vickie Churchill has been appointed to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court’s Gender and Justice Commission.

Washington State Supreme Court Justice Barbara Madsen made the appointment.

The Gender and Justice Commission is charged with promoting gender fairness, diversity and equality in courts and communities throughout the state. The commission was formed in 1987 by the state Legislature to initiate measures to prevent gender and minority bias in the state court system.

Since then, the commission has developed projects to study female youth offender incarceration, sexual assault and workplace sexual harassment, gender and diversity bias and responses to the crime of human trafficking.

Other programs supported by the commission include bench guides on domestic violence and on international child abduction, scholarships to Women Lawyers’ Leadership Symposiums, and education programs on legal issues in genetics that impact women and vulnerable populations. The commission has also distributed thousands of dollars in grants over the years to courts for projects to address domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.

Judge Churchill also serves as co-chair of the Board for Judicial Administration, along with chair Chief Justice Gerry Alexander. She is current past president of the Superior Court Judges’ Association for the State of Washington.

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