Attorneys sound off on Wulle's polling

Lawyers understandably don’t like to cause friction with judges. After all, the people in black robes have power over the outcome of their cases.

But two local attorneys publicly sounded off on possible reasons why Clark County Superior Court Judge John Wulle failed to receive the endorsement of the Clark County Bar Association.

A look at Columbian archives over the past dozen years shows the bar has always supported the incumbent judge, making Monday’s poll results extremely rare. The bar poll found more attorneys support Wulle’s opponent, attorney David Gregerson.

The attorneys had their say in the comments section of a Tuesday article about the bar poll results.

Private Vancouver attorney Barry Brandenburg first explained the importance of the bar poll before delving into the reasoning behind the votes:

“Our opinions aren’t driven by anger because a judge ruled against our client,” Brandenburg wrote. “We only desire an unbiased, patient judge that respects every citizen who comes before the bench. Respect doesn’t mean you condone crime or other bad behavior… you just don’t have to yell at people before you sentence them to prison.”

Shortly after Brandenburg, attorney Shon Bogar weighed in to discuss the effects of “inappropriate behavior by a judge.”
“It’s easy to say that ‘yelling at a criminal’ isn’t a major concern, but don’t forget about how inappropriate behavior affects other cases,” Bogar wrote. “Judicial temperament matters just as much as the other qualities surveyed (legal ability, integrity, and relevant legal experience).”

Both attorneys’ comments received several Facebook ‘likes,’ including those from people in the legal community.

Attorney Mark Carter also left a comment about what he felt was the importance of the bar poll.

— Laura McVicker