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Theresa Doyle
Theresa B. Doyle is a former superior court judge for the King County Superior Court in Washington.[1] Following her election, she joined the court in January 2005.[2] She retired at the end of her term in 2021.[3]
Doyle filed for re-election in 2016 and won automatically because she faced no challengers.
Education
Doyle received her J.D. from Seattle University School of Law.[2]
Career
Doyle was appointed to the Seattle Municipal Court in 1998. She was a mental health court judge from 2003 to 2004, and joined the superior court in January 2005. Other legal experience includes working as an appellate lawyer for the California Public Defender and Washington Appellate Defender Associations, as a trial attorney with The Defender Association, and in private practice.[2]
Awards and associations
- Member, Washington State Minority and Justice Commission
- Member, Washington State Interpreter Commission[2]
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.
Doyle 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]
Noteworthy cases
Kurt Cobain death-scene photos (2015)
In July 2015, Judge Doyle dismissed a case that requested the release of police records and photos of Kurt Cobain's death scene. Richard Lee has spoken out since 1994 about his belief that Cobain's death was not a suicide but a murder involving a secret government plot. Lee filed suit against the City of Seattle for refusing to release the records after he requested them through the Washington Public Records Act.
Doyle dismissed the case on procedural grounds before it went to trial. She ruled that Lee did not give the city enough time to respond before filing a lawsuit. He also failed to deliver the suit to either the mayor, city manager or city clerk. Her ruling prohibited Lee from filing another lawsuit based on the same records request. Regardless, Lee said he planned to refile. "I’ve never heard of a case where an issue of such public importance was dismissed because of such trivial circumstances," he said.[6]
Cobain's widow and daughter spoke out against the release of the photos, which the police had not released for the purpose of the family's privacy.[6]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ King County, Washington, "Superior Court Judges," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 King County, Washington, "Judge Theresa B. Doyle," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ King County, "New Judges Sworn in to King County Superior Court," January 22, 2021
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Seattle Times, "Judge dismisses lawsuit seeking release of Kurt Cobain death-scene photos," July 31, 2015
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
