News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 19, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke judicial appointee dons robes today to assist with Pierce County court caseload

OLYMPIA - James R. Orlando today becomes a Pierce County Superior Court judge because of Gov. Gary Locke's appointment.

Orlando ran unopposed for Judge Arthur W. Verharen's seat. Verharen retired yesterday.

"I'm very pleased Jim Orlando is taking this Superior Court seat. He has been a commissioner for the Pierce County Superior Court since 1995 and also has extensive experience in private practice in the county. He will be able to pick up a heavy caseload and hit the ground running immediately," Locke said.

"Jim Orlando is a highly qualified attorney and he will be a credit to the Pierce County bench. The fact that no one challenged him for election speaks volumes about how respected Jim is by his peers," the governor added.

He also thanked Orlando for taking the seat early to help the court with its heavy caseload-one of the heaviest in the state. Without the early appointment, the court would have waited until January for Orlando to assume his new position.

Orlando is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound School of Law. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and graduated from Peninsula High School.

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