For the first time in state history, a district court judge will co-chair the statewide judicial administration board in cooperation with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

By a unanimous vote, members of the Washington State Board for Judicial Administration (BJA) elected Kitsap County District Court Judge James M. Riehl to the position of “member-chair” at its May 18 meeting.

In that position, Riehl will share responsibilities with Chief Justice Gerry Alexander. He replaces Spokane County Superior Court Judge James M. Murphy, now the past member-chair of the BJA.

Riehl has served as Kitsap County District Court judge since his election in 1982. He served as president of the District and Municipal Court Judges’ Association from 1995-96 and presently serves on several statewide judicial committees. The Washington State Misdemeanant Corrections Association named him “Judge of the Year” in 1996.
  In 1997, Riehl organized the first Kitsap County Domestic Violence Summit, which brought the community together to address the issue of domestic violence. On the national level, he currently chairs the Domestic Violence Committee of the National Conference of Special Court Judges, a division of the American Bar Association.
Charged with the adoption of policies and providing leadership for the administration of justice in Washington Courts, the BJA represents the more than 400 elected judges presiding at four levels: the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, superior courts and courts of limited jurisdiction, or district and municipal courts.