Gov. Gregoire appoints Superior Court Judge for Clark County

For Immediate Release: April 16, 2012

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced she has appointed Judge Gregory Gonzales to the Clark County Superior Court. Gonzales is currently the Municipal Court judge for the city of Battle Ground, a position he has held since 2005. He replaces Judge Edwin Poyfair, who announced he will retire at the end of April.

�Greg is well-regarded by his colleagues for his work and his integrity on the bench as a municipal court judge,� Gregoire said. �He will bring civil and criminal law experience gained from many years in private practice to his new position on the Superior Court as he serves the broader Clark County community.�

�With passion and energy I will work hard to foster impartiality, create fairness, and diffuse bias,� Gonzales said.

Gonzales began his legal career in 1983 with Weber Gunn PLLC, and spent nearly 30 years with the firm focusing on plaintiff personal injuries, misdemeanors and general litigation, requiring frequent court appearances. This year, Gonzales opened his own practice in Vancouver, where he primarily handles cases involving personal injuries, misdemeanor crimes and general litigation. Along with operating his own firm and serving as municipal court judge, Gonzales also teaches paralegal courses in civil litigation, criminal procedure and personal injury at Clark College.

�Greg Gonzales has earned the respect of his community and colleagues throughout his legal career,� said Presiding Judge Barbara Johnson. �He has valuable experience as the municipal court judge for the City of Battle Ground. We welcome him to the Clark County Superior Court, and thank Governor Gregoire for a thorough and timely appointment process to replace Judge Poyfair.�

�Since November 2005, Judge Greg Gonzales has served the Battle Ground Municipal Court and the community well. He has a strong sense of fairness and equity,� said John M. Williams, Battle Ground city manager. �During his tenure, he has supported new, alternate forms of sentencing, such as the Community Work Crew which provides a benefit to both the community and the offenders. Also, he is a strong proponent of education through the court system, mitigating sentences for youth offenders, and has recently worked with the Battle Ground School District to develop a peer court.�

Gonzales has been active in his community, previously serving as coach and committee member of the Salmon Creek Little League and Salmon Creek Soccer Club, as well as serving as Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts, Our Lady of Lourdes School Troop. Gonzales has also participated as judge for the Vancouver Area Mock Court Trial Competition.

Gonzales earned his bachelor�s degree from the University of California Riverside in political science in1977, before earning his law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1981.