Judge Quinn-Brintnall resigned from the Court of Appeals Division II, based in Tacoma, effective January 2, 2014 after announcing she was undergoing treatment for melanoma. She was serving her third term on the court, which hears appeals from trial courts in 13 counties throughout southwest Washington and the Olympic Peninsula.

 

“Judge Quinn-Brintnall was a deeply committed and hard-working leader both on and off the bench.  As an appellate lawyer, Judge Quinn-Brintnall argued many groundbreaking cases in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. As an appellate judge she wrote over 1,000 decisions, setting precedent on many important issues,” said Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Madsen.  “Her death is a great loss to our state and to the legal community.”

Raised in Astoria, Oregon, Quinn-Brintnall had lived in Pierce County since 1973. She graduated from The Evergreen State College and earned a law degree at the University of Puget Sound. She was an experienced trial and appellate attorney, having worked for 15 years in criminal law and six years in public civil law before being elected to the bench.

 

She was elected by her colleagues as Presiding Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, representing all three COA divisions in the state, a position she held from April of 2012 until April, 2013, and she also served as a member of Washington's Board for Judicial Administration, the judiciary’s governance board.  Privately, Judge Quinn-Brintnall supported many community activities including the Emergency Food Network and Read2Me tutoring program through Tacoma Community House.  

 

In announcing her resignation last year, she said it had been an honor to serve the court and the people of Washington for the past 13 years. The memorial service for Judge Chris Quinn-Brintnall will start at 3:30 p.m. on June 3 at Life Center, 1717 South Union, Tacoma.