I am Judge Michael Finkle, a King County District Court Judge in Northeast Electoral District Position 6. I was appointed judge by unanimous vote of the King County Council on Feb. 22 of this year.

During the 20 years preceding my appointment I served as a supervising prosecutor for the Seattle City Attorney’s Office. The last 14 years I also served as a Judge Pro Tempore (substitute Judge) in King County District and various Municipal Courts. Prior to moving to Washington state, I spent four years as a prosecutor in Los Angeles.

My management experience includes creating new programs to improve the criminal justice system. For example, I helped form Seattle’s Mental Health Court, which was the fourth such court in the country; there are currently more than 200. I also helped create the Domestic Violence Unit within the Seattle City Attorney’s Office.

I have served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Seattle University School of Law since 1998. In addition, I served as one of the initial faculty for the State Bar’s Trial Advocacy Program. In terms of community service, I served on the committee that helped incorporate the City of Sammamish. I have also participated in Beat the Bridge to Beat Juvenile Diabetes, helped build a ramp for a physically disabled woman to enter and leave her home of 60 years, visited retirement homes and church groups to educate them about the judicial system, and traveled about the state and country (often on my own time or with my own money) to talk about criminal justice issues.

I have lived in the same house in Sammamish for the past 20 years. I am proud to be your Judge.

Judge Michael Finkle

King County District Court

Northeast Electoral District Position 6