Judge Dennis J. Sweeney

DIVISION III, POSITION 2

December 27, 1991–April 30, 2013

Elected; Retired

Dennis J. Sweeney was a Washington State Court of Appeals judge at Division III. He was chief judge from 1996-1998 and from 2006-2008. He was presiding chief judge of the Court from 1998-1999. Prior to his election to the court, he was in trial and appellate law practice in the Tri-Cities for 20 years. He served on the Court from his election in November of 1991 until his retirement in May of 2013.

Judge Sweeney was voted 1998 Washington State Trial Lawyers Appellate “Judge of the Year.” He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and was a Certified Public Accountant (Washington). He is the Author of: An Analysis of Harmless Error in Washington – A Principled Process, 31 Gonzaga Law Review 277 (Fall 1995); The Common Law Process; A New Look at An Ancient Value Delivery System, 79 Wash Law Review 1 (Feb 2004), The Judge's Role in Making a Record: Exercising Judicial Discretion, published by the Superior Court Judges’ Association, Board for Court Education, fourth edition published December 1999; and Judicial Discretion in Washington, published by the Superior Court Judges’ Association, Board for Court Education in 1996.

Judge Sweeney received his J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1972, and his L.L.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995.