Judge John O. Cooney

Judge John O. Cooney was appointed to the Washington State Court of Appeals by Governor Jay Inslee in August 2023. Judge Cooney began his judicial career when elected to the Spokane County District Court in 2006. In 2012, Judge Cooney ran unopposed for the Spokane County Superior Court. Since that time, he has presided over hundreds of trials, ranging from family law matters to complex civil and criminal cases. From the beginning of his judicial career, Judge Cooney has been active in promoting therapeutic courts, having been trained through the National Judicial College and serving as the presiding judge of the Spokane County District Court's Veterans' Court.

Judge Cooney has been active in civics education, frequently devoting his time to speaking with elementary and middle school students. Between 2013 and 2021, Judge Cooney served as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University where he taught courses about our criminal justice system.

Before taking the bench, Judge Cooney was a trial lawyer with Cooney Law where he emphasized criminal defense and administrative appeals. Judge Cooney graduated from Gonzaga Preparatory High School, received his B.A. from Gonzaga University, and his J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law. He and his wife are lifetime residents of Eastern Washington where they raised their four children. Judge Cooney and his wife have both competed in the Boston Marathon and are active in local running events, having previously served as the race director for the Autumn Classic Colbert Half Marathon.