John Ruhl
John Ruhl was a judge for the King County Superior Court in King County, Washington. He was appointed to the court in 2014. Ruhl retired from the court on April, 30, 2022.[1]
Education
Ruhl received his undergraduate degree from Seattle University and his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame.[2]
Career
Prior to joining the court, Ruhl was an attorney with the firm Ryan, Swanson and Cleveland. He also helped to create the website Votingforjudges.org.[3]
Elections
2020
See also: Municipal elections in King County, Washington (2020)
General election
The general election was canceled. John Ruhl (Nonpartisan) won without appearing on the ballot.
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.
Ruhl won re-election without appearing on a ballot in 2016 because no challengers emerged by the May 2016 filing deadline.[4] In counties with a population that is greater than 100,000, if only one superior court candidate files for election for a judgeship, that candidate is automatically elected and the county does not hold a general election for the seat. According to the 2010 census, the following counties have a population greater than 100,000:[5]
2014
See also: Washington judicial elections, 2014
Ruhl ran for re-election to the King County Superior Court.
General: He was unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014.
[6]
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
John Ruhl did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Noteworthy cases
Judge holds Seattle income tax violates state law (2017)
On November 22, 2017, King County Judge John Ruhl ruled that Seattle's income tax ordinance violated both the Washington State Constitution and Washington law in imposing different income tax rates. The order was issued in response to three separate lawsuits that were filed after the ordinance was adopted by the council and signed into law by then-Mayor Ed Murray. The ordinance was scheduled to go into effect beginning in the 2018 fiscal year. Judge Ruhl issued an order for summary judgment, holding that both the state constitution and state law "prohibited tax plans that impose different rates on low-income individuals and those who earn more money." A co-plaintiff in one of the three suits challenging the ordinance, Tom McCabe of the Freedom Foundation, said in response to Judge Ruhl's decision, "The Seattle City Council knew when it first passed this last summer that taxes in this state have to be applied uniformly."[7][8]
In a joint statement released by Mayor Tim Burgess and City Attorney Pete Holmes, the city said it would appeal Judge Ruhl's order. In the statement, Burgess and Holmes said,[7]
| “ |
We are also living in a time of extreme income inequality that corrodes our social compact and causes many to wonder whether wealthy individuals are paying their fair share. ... When it comes to Washington state, the studies are clear: the wealthiest among us are not paying their fair share. ... We need more progressive tax sources, not fewer. ... The Seattle income tax was an attempt to move toward this goal, and we are hopeful that it will be upheld on appeal.[9] |
” |
Articles:
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Washington Governor Jay Inslee, "Inslee appoints Matt Lapin to King County Superior Court," accessed April 30, 2022
- ↑ Martindale.com,, "Lawyer Profile: John R. Ruhl," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedappoint - ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2016 Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 21, 2016
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Washington: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013," accessed July 24, 2014
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, “2014 Candidates Who Have Filed,” accessed May 22, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Seattle Times, "Seattle’s income tax on the wealthy is illegal, judge rules," November 22, 2017
- ↑ The News Tribune, "Judge rules against Seattle income tax on high earners," November 22, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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
