ElofsonForJudge.com

Our decision was influenced by a Yakima County Bar Association poll released Tuesday that showed 85 local attorneys giving both good marks.

In the five categories — legal ability, temperament, integrity, relevant legal experience and diligence and dedication — Elofson picked up 41 per cent of the total votes in the “exceptionally well qualified” category and 35 percent of the “well qualified” ratings. Lawrence-Berrey’s numbers were 24 percent and 37 percent, respectively, in the same categories.

So while the ratings were close, as we expected them to be, Elofson consistently edged Lawrence-Berrey, a former president of the county bar association. That’s pretty much the way we saw it in our discussions before the poll came out.

We were impressed with both. But only one will win the seat in the Aug. 19 primary election.

Both are civil litigants, but we believe Elofson will have no problem joining with the seven other Superior Court judges to deal with a huge case backlog in both civil and criminal cases. During our interview, he acknowledged the backlog has gotten worse for a variety of reasons. He feels all the judges must work together and with all the lawyers involved, including the prosecutor’s office, to expedite the cases and move them through the system.

“We’ve gotten into some bad habits” that he wants to help change. He thinks that, on balance, the current judges are a good group and are becoming more aggressive in moving cases along.

During our interview, Lawrence-Berrey was a big believer in the need for “hard-working” judges making a difference. We believe that description best fits Elofson.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.
 
——————————————————————————–
From the YakimaHerald.com Online News
Published on Friday, July 27, 2008
Judicial qualities

To the editor — I am supporting David Elofson as candidate for Yakima County Superior Court judge. I first met Dave in 1986 when I began my legal career with the Yakima County Prosecutor’s Office. Dave was leaving the office to begin his private practice and I was taking his position.

For several weeks, he was my mentor. I will never forget the positive influence Dave had upon me, a young lawyer, as I observed his hard work ethic, civic responsibility, his level of maturity and his courage and discretion as a decision-maker. Dave had the ability to expeditiously analyze cases and without personal bias make what most of us would consider very tough decisions. The public was truly fortunate to have Dave Elofson as a deputy prosecuting attorney.

Over the last 22 years of practicing law, I’ve continued to observe the same admirable qualities in Dave that first impressed and influenced me. Fortunately for us, Dave is once again offering his talents as a candidate for Superior Court judge. I cannot stress enough how beneficial to the public it will be to have him serve once again. Please join me in voting for David Elofson for Superior Court judge.

-Brad Mellotte, Yakima

——————————————————————————–
From the YakimaHerald.com Online News
Published on Friday, July 27, 2008
Elect Elofson judge

To the editor — David Elofson would be an outstanding Yakima County Superior Court judge. He has the necessary background, skills, knowledge, experience and balance to deal with wide-ranging legal problems and issues in both civil and criminal matters. David Elofson is a man of great integrity and character. He is dedicated to the upholding and application of the law to all persons in a fair and impartial manner.

I have had the privilege and pleasure of knowing David Elofson for the past 22 years. We both have been practicing law here in Yakima County in separate law firms. Please join with me in voting for David Elofson to assure the continuation of quality judges serving on the Yakima County Superior Court.

-David A. Thorner, Yakima

——————————————————————————–
From the YakimaHerald.com Online News
Published on Friday, July 27, 2008
Unqualified support

To the editor — I know that rules prevent candidates for a judicial position from politicizing their candidacy. I want to use this forum to share personal knowledge of and support for David Elofson for the position of Yakima Superior Court judge, Position 5.

I have known David and his wife and family for more than 40 years. I was their family doctor for a period and I was a family friend and a good friend of his father, Howard, who also was a well-known Yakima lawyer. I have observed and respected David’s legal career, his active participation in our community and his strong and consistent family values. David’s deep roots in our Valley means that he knows us and has the kind of balanced perspective that we need in our judges.

-Dr. Douglas O. Corpron, Yakima

To the editor — I would like to express to the voters my thoughts about David Elofson’s qualifications for Superior Court judge. David followed his father, Howard Elofson, into the practice of law in Yakima. Howard, as a partner of mine years ago, was an outstanding lawyer. David has carried on this tradition in his practice. I have known David for 25 years and he joined our firm as a partner 12 years ago. David will be an exceptional judge, bringing to this position excellent skills and experience. In addition to being pragmatic and realistic, he has demonstrated a balance of interpreting the law in a respectful manner and applying it with common sense. David has considerable experience serving as a judge pro tem and has arbitrated many types of cases. I enthusiastically support David Elofson for Superior Court judge, and I sincerely hope the voters of Yakima County will provide him with the opportunity to demonstrate his skills, experience and knowledge.

-Tony Menke, Yakima

Combined with his 23 years as a civil litigator, the Yakima lawyer says his work experience before law school — hotel manager, tennis pro, life insurance salesman — brings a perspective not many lawyers can claim.

As for wanting to replace retiring Yakima County Superior Court Judge Robert Hackett, Elofson says he’s ready for a fresh challenge and eager to go into public service.

“I like my job, I like my colleagues,” he says, “but this is a chance to offer something back” to the community.

Elofson, 55, is a candidate for Hackett’s seat on the bench in the Aug. 19 primary. It will be the only contested judicial race this year — also on the ballot is Rob Lawrence-Berrey, another Yakima lawyer and civil litigator. Unlike most elective positions, this race will be determined in the primary.

Born and raised in Yakima, Elofson is a 1971 graduate of Eisenhower High School and a graduate of Washington State University, where he earned degrees in business and hotel administration.

After college, he returned to Yakima and worked as an assistant manager for several local hotels before chucking it all for a cross-country trip that ended on the Eastern seaboard, where he had relatives on his mother’s side of the family.

Following a stint as a tennis pro at a boys camp in New Hampshire, he began selling life insurance in Newport, R.I., where he met his future wife, Gun. They raised three girls; the youngest is a student at West Valley High School.

After graduating from California Western School of Law in San Diego in 1985, Elofson came home again and, after a brief stint as a Yakima County deputy prosecutor, became a partner in his father’s law firm.

Elofson says his father, Howard, never pushed him to become a lawyer and that he himself resisted the idea for many years.

The decision is not one Elofson now regrets. A longtime partner in the law firm of Menke Jackson Beyer & Elofson, he specializes in civil litigation — everything from family law to probate to real estate — and touts his courtroom experience as on-the-job training for a judgeship.

Elofson says he’s familiar with the backlog of cases that plague the Superior Court — “I’ve been a victim of it, too” — and pledges to work hard to help reduce the congestion.

“We have a great group of people on the bench,” he says of the eight judges who make up the Superior Court, “but we do need some people who will work hard. I’ve worked hard to build a successful private practice, and I intend to keep working hard as a judge.”

* Chris Bristol can be reached at 577-7748 or cbristol@yakimaherald.com.

 
——————————————————————————–
July 30, 2008. Yakima Herald.
Lawyers’ poll gives slight edge to Elofson in Superior Court judge race

July 2008. Yakima County Bar Association (Member Poll).
Yakima County Bar favors Elofson. Click here to see the Results.