Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced his nomination of Anita Crawford-Willis to fill the vacancy on the Seattle Municipal Court created by the retirement of Judge Judith Hightower. Hightower, who has served as a Municipal Court Judge since 1991, is the 2nd elected and the longest serving African American female judge in the State of Washington.
Crawford-Willis currently serves as an administrative law judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings in Seattle and serves as a judge pro tem on the Seattle Municipal Court. She graduated from the Seattle University School of Law and began her career as a public defender. The hallmark of her career has been her leadership in mentoring and empowering students of color in their pursuit of careers in public service. She has been an active member of the King County legal community for the past 25 years and serves on the Board of Regents for Seattle University.
“Seattle Municipal Court is the highest volume court in the state and a judge on this court must be able to handle a variety of matters efficiently, without sacrificing a party’s rights,” said Presiding Judge Karen Donohue of the Seattle Municipal Court. “Judge Crawford-Willis is uniquely qualified for the role by virtue of her experience in the courtroom as a public defender and judge pro tem, along with her work outside the courtroom mentoring women and young people of color pursuing careers in law. She will be an exceptional addition to our bench.”
In addition to Crawford-Willis, Murray also nominated Adam Eisenberg to fill an additional vacancy on the Municipal Court. Eisenberg, who will fill the Position 6 vacancy created by Judge Steve Rosen’s election to the King County Superior Court, currently serves as a magistrate on the Seattle Municipal Court and teaches art and cultural property law at the University of Washington Museology graduate program.
“Seattleites deserve thoughtful, passionate, and qualified judges on the Seattle Municipal Court,” said Murray, “Anita Crawford-Willis and Adam Eisenberg reflect these values and are committed to justice for all Seattle residents. They both bring judicial experience and have demonstrated throughout their careers a dedication to social and racial justice, diversity, and inclusion. I look forward to working with Council on moving these nominations forward.”
The nominations, for terms expiring January 14, 2019, are subject to confirmation by City Council.
