Name: Fred J. Stoker
Title: Judge
Court: Clark District Court
County: Clark
Discipline: Admonishment
Method of Resolution: Supreme Court reversed and dismissed
Discipline Date: 06/25/1991
Canons Violated:7(A)(1)(c), 7(A)(2), 7(B)(1)(d)
Summary: The Commission admonished a judge who, in August 1990, during his campaign for re election, placed or caused to be placed a campaign sign and campaign literature in both the Democratic and Republican booths at a county fair, who could be seen inside each booth at various times during the fair, and who paid the county Democratic party $65 for his use of the Democratic booth at the fair, which was used by the party to help defray the costs of the booth in its partisan political interests. The Commission found that by campaigning from within a political party's booth, posting his signs in the Democratic and Republican Party booths and placing his campaign literature in the booths, the judge gave the impression either that he was running as a Democrat, or enjoyed the support of the Democratic Party, or that he was running as a Republican with Republican Party support, or at best, that he was running a bipartisan not a non partisan campaign for judicial office, in violation of Canon 7B. The Commission also found that the money paid by the judge to the Democratic Party for the use of its booth was an assessment by or a contribution to a political party, which is prohibited by the Code. One Commission member concurred on the finding with respect to the fee paid to the Democratic Party but dissented from the finding with respect to the judge's placing literature in both parties' booths on the ground that "the simultaneous display of identical campaign material by a non partisan candidate in each booth of the competing political parties in essentially the same location can hardly suggest membership in either party." The State Supreme Court reversed the Commission decision and dismissed the case.
Case Documents Available:
Supreme Court Opinion In re Fred J. Stoker 118 Wn.2d 782, 827 P.2d 986 filed 4/9/1992.
Commission Decision filed 6/25/1991.
General Denial to Statement of Charges filed 2/6/1991.
Statement of Charges filed 1/15/1991.