Chief Judge Anne M. Cruser

Judge Anne M. Cruser was appointed to the Court of Appeals, Division II in February, 2019, and subsequently elected in November, 2019 and November 2022. Prior to serving on the Court of Appeals, Judge Cruser served as a superior court judge in Cowlitz County.

Judge Cruser began her legal career as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Cowlitz County, and subsequently practiced as a deputy prosecuting attorney in the felony division of the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in Vancouver, WA. Judge Cruser was in private practice for nearly a decade representing clients in criminal cases both at trial and on appeal before the Court of Appeals and the Washington Supreme Court. In 2011, Judge Cruser returned to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney's Office where she served as a senior deputy prosecuting attorney and the lead attorney in the appellate division. Judge Cruser handled hundreds of cases in the Court of Appeals and made numerous appearances in the Washington Supreme Court before joining the Cowlitz County Superior Court as a judge in 2017.

Judge Cruser serves on the Board of Judicial Administration and the Executive Committee of the Court of Appeals. She is active in her community and has served as a volunteer at both Cispus Outdoor School and Camp Sealth on Vashon Island. Judge Cruser lives with her husband and three children in Kalama. She and her family enjoy skiing and spending vacations in our beautiful national and state parks.