FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 15, 1996

Lowry names Sypolt to Spokane County Superior Court

OLYMPIA - Governor Mike Lowry today appointed Greg Sypolt to the Spokane County Superior Court. Sypolt will fill the new 11th position, created by the 1996 State Legislature and approved by the Spokane County Commission, on the Superior Court.

Sypolt, 47, has been a defense attorney with the Spokane Public Defender's Office since 1979. As a senior assistant defender for over ten years, Sypolt has been counsel in hundreds of criminal trials involving the most serious felony cases. And, in the most recent Spokane Bar Association poll, Sypolt was ranked highest by his peers for appointment to the bench.

"I am very pleased to appoint Greg Sypolt to the Superior Court bench. He has earned the respect of his colleagues as a top quality attorney and as a person of integrity and fairness," Lowry said. "He will be an excellent judge and bring an industrious work ethic and a commitment to public service to the new seat."

Sypolt also has shown a strong commitment to his community with leadership roles in the in the Washington State and Spokane County Bar Associations, the Inland Empire Hispanic Association, Spokane County Developmental Disabilities Board, and the Volunteers of America/Crosswalk Board to only name a few, Lowry said.

Sypolt earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania and his Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga University Law School. He lives in Spokane with his wife, Cynthia.

Sypolt, who will stand for election next fall, will earn $99,015 annually. The appointment will be effective January 1, 1997.

For more information, contact the Governor's Communication Office at (360) 753-6790.