Seattle (April 17) – Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced her nomination of Magistrate Judge Faye Chess as her appointee to the current vacant judicial position on the Seattle Municipal Court. Mayor Durkan’s selection follows the recommendations by the Seattle Municipal Court Selection Committee that included representatives from several local Minority Bar Organizations. The nominations are subject to confirmation by City Council.
“As someone who has been a practicing lawyer and a Magistrate Judge, Judge Chess brings an impressive depth of judicial experience to the Seattle Municipal Court. Her dedication to public service and decades of experience will serve our community well,” said Mayor Durkan. “She is also committed to reforming our criminal justice system to make it more just and accountable for all.”
Following Judge Karen Donohue’s appointment to King County Superior Court, Magistrate Judge Chess will fill the unexpired judicial term, which ends December 31, 2018. Magistrate Judge Chess was appointed by the elected judges to her position with the Seattle Municipal Court.
Prior to her arrival at the Seattle Municipal Court, she served as a Judge Pro Tempore in King County District Court for over twenty-two years. She was previously the Director of Labor Relations for Group Health Cooperative and Sr. HR Consultant for Providence Health and Services and Swedish Medical Center. For many years, she worked in the public education sector, first as Deputy General Counsel and Interim Executive Director of Human Resources for Seattle Public Schools specializing in employment and labor, special education, and student disability plans and later as the Executive Director of Human Resources and General Counsel for Tukwila School District. After receiving her B.A. from Purdue University and her law degree from University of Cincinnati College of Law, she worked as a staff attorney for The Public Defender Association in Seattle, WA. She also served as Deputy General Counsel and Interim General Counsel for Seattle Housing Authority. She is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, Federal Bar of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, and Loren Miller Bar Association.
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