Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 10, 2004
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gary Locke Appoints Cameron Mitchell to Benton-Franklin County Superior Court

KENNEWICK – June 10, 2004 – Gov. Gary Locke today appointed industrial appeals judge Cameron Mitchell to the Benton-Franklin County Superior Court.

“I am pleased to add Cameron to a branch of government that is so vital to our democratic system,” Locke said. “He has the legal skills, the demeanor and the experience to be a top-notch Superior Court judge.”

Mitchell became an industrial appeals judge in 1993. He hears cases involving workers’ compensation, crime victims’ compensation, and appeals of safety citations under the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act. He has also served as a judge pro-tem at the Benton-Franklin County Juvenile Justice Center, handling cases involving at risk youth and truancy matters. He has previously worked as an assistant attorney general in Kennewick and at the U.S. Department of Energy.

“I am honored that Governor Locke has chosen me from among the many qualified candidates,” Mitchell said. “I will strive to maintain the tradition of judicial excellence created by Judge Brown and the rest of the judges of the Benton-Franklin County Superior Court.”

Mitchell grew up in the Tri-Cities. He received his bachelor’s degree in history from Washington State University, and his law degree from Willamette University in Salem, Ore. in 1986. He was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1987.

Mitchell will replace Judge Carolyn Brown, who is retiring.

“Judge Brown is one of our most experienced judges and she has been a leader on the bench,” Locke said. “We greatly appreciate her years on the Superior Court bench, and we will miss her wisdom and leadership. I thank Judge Brown for her service to the court, Benton and Franklin Counties, and the state of Washington.”

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