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Gov. Gregoire appoints Kevin M. Korsmo to Division III Court of Appeals

For Immediate Release: January 31, 2008

SPOKANE � Gov. Chris Gregoire today appointed Kevin Michael Korsmo to the Division III, District 1, Court of Appeals. Division III is headquartered in Spokane.

Korsmo, 51, is a senior deputy prosecuting attorney in the Office of the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney. He will replace Justice Debra L. Stephens, who was recently appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court.

�Kevin brings to the Court of Appeals a lot of wisdom and experience,� Gregoire said. �His intelligence, fairness and temperament are widely respected in Spokane. He replaces Debra Stephens � another jurist with terrific credentials � whom I appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court last month.�

Korsmo has practiced law for more than 25 years, handling all facets of criminal prosecution, including felony and misdemeanor trials. Korsmo has personally argued 53 cases before the Washington State Supreme Court and several hundred cases in the Court of Appeals.

�I believe my extensive criminal law experience can bring a different perspective to the court and will help me succeed in this position,� Korsmo said. �I�m humbled by the governor�s faith in me. I�ve been preparing my whole career for this position.�

Korsmo�s most significant challenge � and accomplishment � was creating and managing an appellate unit for the Office of the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney. This unit has overseen more than 2,000 criminal appeals cases in 17 years, including two death penalty prosecutions.

Korsmo currently serves on a subcommittee of the Washington Sentencing Guidelines Commission, the body appointed by the Legislature to oversee and recommend changes to criminal sentencing.

The North Dakota native graduated from the University of Washington School of Law in 1982. He started his legal career that year as an associate with the Law Offices of L. William Houger in Richland and Spokane, moved to the Snohomish County Prosecutor�s Office in 1984, and has been with the Office of the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney since 1990. Korsmo, who has lived in Spokane since 1990, is married and has four daughters.

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