At the early age of 6, the seeds were sown for Jeff Gregory’s calling to assist others in need, just as he and his family were at that juncture of their lives.

While standing in line to receive a sack of groceries and a Thanksgiving turkey at a food bank in Kelso, Gregory recalls members from community service organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis being on hand to lend support that day. They made an impact on his family and others in the economically challenged, marginalized and depressed mill and logging town in the southwest section of Washington.

“What that did for me is instill an understanding of the importance of having people there to look out for you, maybe even other than your parents. Your community,” the presiding judge of the Mercer Island Municipal Court told members of the Rotary Club of Mercer Island at their Oct. 3 meeting at the community and event center.

Attaining solid grades in school and immersing himself in community service work were paramount aspects of his life growing up and that ultimately led him along the path toward becoming involved in the justice system.

During his robust legal career, Gregory has worked as a King County deputy and senior deputy prosecuting attorney and public defender, provided criminal defense and family law services with his own firm and served as a pro tem judge before taking the Island judge’s seat on Jan. 1, 2022. He’s just the second presiding judge to ever serve on the Island and succeeded Judge Wayne Stewart, who held his position for 17 years.

From his public defender’s perspective, Gregory gained critical insight into the justice system and the adjacent community services that are lacking for the marginalized, poor, homeless and mentally ill members of society, he said.

He was ready to don the judge’s robe and turn his recommendations into difference-making decisions.

“It’s the judge that holds the accountability hand. It’s the judge that finally says, ‘In my opinion, based on everything that I’ve been told, everything I know, in all my experience — this is what I think is best for this person, with the resources that are available, for the betterment of this person and this community,’” he said.

It’s a tough job, even for those who have garnered immense experience to tackle such cases as infractions, misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors as Gregory does on the Island. Cases of assault, domestic violence, property crimes and more are placed in front of him during his court days.

“It is a responsibility that is a massive burden when you take that on, when you put on the robe,” said Gregory, who ultimately aspires to help steer people on a good path while moving forward with their lives. Applying that ethos consistently, fairly and specifically to individuals’ situations is what he strives to achieve with each case.

While MI city hall is closed, the Island’s Municipal Court once-a-week proceedings are currently occurring within the Kirkland Justice Center. In court, Gregory deals with an average of 25-60 Island cases per week and also presides over the Newcastle case docket once a month. In the operations realm on non-court days, Gregory and company have set up shop in the MI Fire Station 91 training room.

According to the city, council will review and consider an agenda bill at its Oct. 17 meeting approving an interlocal agreement and lease with the city of Newcastle to house MI Municipal Court operations.

In concluding his Rotary presentation, Gregory hearkened back to when he initially became involved in helping others and applied that supportive environment to what transpires within his judge’s domain.

“We do community service, we provide community support because it’s necessary,” he noted.