Posted on 05/22/2005 2:30:01 PM PDT by SmithL
WENATCHEE, Wash. - Prosecutors, attorneys and state officials agree that the judge who will decide whether to nullify the 2004 Washington governor's election is hardworking and fair.
But even in the small town where he grew up, Chelan County Superior Court Judge John E. Bridges remains a bit of mystery: He's not a joiner. He doesn't belong to the Rotary. He doesn't cut a high profile in Wenatchee's social circles. No one knows his political leanings.
And no one knows - or no one's telling - the story behind the small diamond earring in the gray-haired judge's left ear, twinkling above his black robe and conservative suits.
On Monday, Bridges will begin presiding over a trial to decide Washington's contested governor's election, which focuses on problems involving human error in vote counting that are similar to allegations raised in the presidential vote in Ohio last year and in Florida in 2000.
Republican Dino Rossi has challenged Gov. Christine Gregoire's 129-vote victory, alleging problems including illegal votes cast by felons and dead people.
"As I was lying in bed last night, I had one of the fears that I think attorneys have had often, I'm sure - did I miss something?" Bridges, 58, confessed during the most recent court hearing on a flurry of pretrial motions.
Not likely, say those who know his courtroom.
"He is a very thoughtful, very thorough judge," said Clyde Ballard, a prominent East Wenatchee Republican and former state House speaker. "He really makes decisions that are generally thought to be good, legal decisions ... He's right down the line."
When Republicans chose Chelan County for their election challenge, many in the state suspected them of judge-shopping. Chelan County voted 64 percent for Rossi, and hasn't elected a Democrat to local government in years.
But Bridges' politics are impossible to tell from his rulings. So far, he's steered a middle course between Republicans' and Democrats' pretrial demands: allowing Republicans to present evidence of election errors but setting a high standard of proof; refusing to speed up the trial for the GOP but also denying Democrats' requests for a six-month delay.
"I was never able to discern his personal politics," said Sanford Brown, who filed an election challenge against Wenatchee Mayor Gary Schoessler in 1999. Bridges agreed that Schoessler hadn't met the legal residency requirements, and overturned the election. The Supreme Court unanimously upheld his ruling.
"Bridges has proven he's a fair judge," Brown said. "We're in good hands with him."
Bridges was appointed to the bench in 1988 by Democratic Gov. Booth Gardner, who said he remains impressed with Bridges' handling of the challenge to Gregoire's election.
"He's been very broad in his willingness to let information in," Gardner said. "The Supreme Court will say everybody got a fair chance."
While Bridges' style on the bench is understated, he's not afraid to take risks. During the March 22 sentencing of Denise Orr, convicted of vehicular homicide in the death of her 4-year-old son, Bridges stepped down from the bench to talk to the families of Orr and her ex-husband. He urged them to put aside their bitter feuds for the sake of the couple's surviving daughter.
"I'm trying to open your eyes somewhat," Bridges said.
It was an extremely unusual move for a judge, and it took the families by surprise.
"He spoke in very plain language," said Lou Orr, Denise's mother. "I think he genuinely hurt for everybody."
Still, what about that earring? Bridges got it a few years ago - an unusual fashion statement for a man of his age in a conservative town.
"I'm not into earrings for guys, but it kind of gives him a little extra flair," Ballard said.
As long as he gives a fair judgment, I won't ask him about the small diamond in his left ear.
AP must suspect he will cancel the election, or I doubt they would have mentioned it.
"Bridges' politics are impossible to tell from his rulings"
That should be a aim for all judges!
Earring? The fix is in. Who appointed this judge?
appointed by a dem gov. The fix is in.
I hope he is fair. But I have to say this again: we, the normal people, can no longer live with Leftists in our society. This is what they have brought us to: EVERY election contested, everything going to a court case. No republic can last like this.
This is the AP, if they're calling this guy fair, he's probably (on the minimum) left leaning.
The fact that he's a dem appointee and a judge who wears an earring kind of hint at the type of person he is.
They did find a couple of republicans to back him, but think about it, I could find a couple of republicans who would speak highly of ginsburg.
The AP is going a bit out of its way to get this guy over as a independent with no bias.
<< .... normal people, can no longer live with Leftists in our society. This is what they have brought us to: EVERY election contested, everything going to a court case. No republic can last like this. >>
We have lived with the leftists' electoral frauds for almost eighty years.
Since the traitor, Roosefelt, for example, no "Democrat" has been elected "president" without the employment of massive systemic electoral fraud.
All that has recently changed is that we have begun to instantly communicate our knowledge among ourselves and to organize resistance.
And to seek redress and reversal.
What have we come to when being called a fair judge rates a headline?
Not true. But it is similiar to the democrat election fraud being investigated in Milwaukee right now.
"The AP is going a bit out of its way to get this guy over as a independent with no bias."
Egggzactly.
We can all tell where this is going. And it'll go there very slowly, you can bet, because the Rat lawyers will want to make sure that people are sick and tired of it and vote Gregoire next time to 'make it all stop.'
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