C. Olivia Irwin
C. Olivia Irwin was a candidate for the Position 1 seat on the Ferry/Pend Oreille/Stevens Superior Court in Washington. She was defeated in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Campaign themes
2016
Irwin participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of local judicial candidates. The following sections display her responses to the survey questions. When asked what non-judicial legal experience qualifies her to be a judge, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Litigation experience; policy analysis experience; exposure to the breadth of legal issues and diversity of clients, as well as issues surrounding poverty, domestic violence/family and substance abuse and how they relate to crime and/or the ability of individuals to get what they need from the justice system have given me more than enough ideas for improvement.[1][2] | ” |
When asked why she was running for this particular court seat, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | I can do more good in it. It is also perhaps easier to affect procedural and substantive reform from that vantage point.[1][2] | ” |
When asked to identify one judge, past or present, who she admires, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | My Great Uncle Harold Wood of New York State, who was the first black Supreme Court Judge in his jurisdiction, and gave exemplary service into his '90s.[1][2] | ” |
When asked about her primary concern regarding today's judicial system in her state, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | The "school-to-prison pipeline," the criminalization of poverty, increased invasion of privacy and seizure of personal property; the privatization and overcrowding of facilities, the inadequacy of our system to address civil legal needs. It's hard to choose.[1][2] | ” |
Additional themes
Irwin provided the following statement for the Washington general election voters pamphlet:
| “ |
It has been said that 'Justice is what love looks like in public.' I would only add that sometimes that love is tough. My campaign can be summed up in the concept of restorative justice. Sometimes called "Reparative Justice," it means focusing on the needs of the victim, offender, and community, instead of just punishment--thereby achieving more victim satisfaction and offender accountability. If elected, the velvet glove will hold an iron fist when needed. However, I will work toward a better balance in caseload priorities to conserve court resources; punishment that fits the crime; partnership with court officers and local leaders to create more comprehensive and cost-effective preventive policy toward non-violent drug crimes. My court will not have a revolving door. I will take more intuitive and compassionate approaches to family law, child welfare and dependency (CPS) cases with an eye to fewer broken families. When interacting with our courts, you deserve to be treated with dignity and fairness, by a judge with humility, who holds principles of justice over that which is politically popular. If you are ready for more than justice as usual, I'm asking for your vote.[3][2] |
” |
| —C. Olivia Irwin (2016) | ||
Elections
2016
Washington held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. Candidates for district and superior court seats had to file for election by May 20, 2016. Primary elections were held on August 2, 2016, for six seats where more than two candidates filed for election. Incumbent Patrick Monasmith defeated C. Olivia Irwin in the Ferry/Pend Oreille/Stevens Superior Court nonpartisan general election for Position 1.[4]
| Ferry/Pend Oreille/Stevens Superior Court, Position 1 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Patrick Monasmith Incumbent |
73.97% | 21,247 |
| C. Olivia Irwin | 26.03% | 7,477 |
| Total Votes | 28,724 | |
| Source: Washington Secretary of State, "November 8, 2016 General Election Results," accessed November 13, 2016 | ||
Selection method
For more information about judicial selection processes in each state, click here.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ballotpedia's local judicial candidate survey, 2016, "C. Olivia Irwin's Responses," May 26, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2016 General Election Voters Pamphlet," accessed October 24, 2016
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2016 Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 21, 2016
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Washington, Western District of Washington • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Washington, Western District of Washington
State courts:
Washington Supreme Court • Washington Court of Appeals • Washington Superior Court • Washington District Courts • Washington Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Washington • Washington judicial elections • Judicial selection in Washington
