Editor,

I support Carolyn Cliff for Superior Court judge position 2. Carolyn has been a part-time court commissioner or judge pro tem for nearly 25 years. As an attorney, I practiced in front of her in truancy court, dependency court, District Court criminal calendars and Superior Court juvenile court, family law and civil law calendars. In all these matters, Carolyn has respected all parties, listened and explained her decisions well.

I can attest to Carolyn’s fairness, legal acuity, thoroughness and extraordinary people skills.

New judges have a steep learning curve. Cliff has an advantage because of her substantial experience making decisions on the limited information provided. Judges never get to have as much information about a case as they would like. That can be a difficult adjustment for new judges.

Decisions regarding admissibility of evidence or trial procedure must be made on the spot. It’s a high-stakes, high-stress situation. Judges must be comfortable with making decisions that impact people’s lives. I believe that Carolyn has demonstrated that she makes decisions that are fair and equitable.

Carolyn’s experience making judicial decisions for more than two decades gives her a critical edge.

Margot Carter

Oak Harbor