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Judge Phillip J. Thompson

DIVISION III, POSITION 4

December 1, 1983–October 8, 1997

Elected; Retired

After graduating from Gonzaga University in 1956, Judge Philip Thompson spent two years in the U.S. Army. He then came back to Spokane and obtained a law degree from Gonzaga in 1962. Judge Thompson started his legal career with Hamblen, Gilbert & Brooke. After a few years with Mallott & Southwell, he opened his own practice. In 1972, Judge Thompson was appointed to the Spokane County District Court where he remained until 1978. He was then appointed to the superior court by Governor Dixie Lee Ray.

After the untimely death of Judge Willard Roe in 1983, a vacancy opened in Division Three of the Court of Appeals. Judge Thompson successfully ran for the position and remained on the court from 1983 until his retirement in October 1997. After two days’ retirement from the bench, Judge Thompson took a position as corporate counsel for Gonzaga University.

When Judge Thompson first came to the Court of Appeals, he had the pleasure of serving with two of the original members of the court, Judge Dale Green and Judge Ray Munson. He also served with Judge Ben McInturff who came on the court shortly after its origination. During his tenure on the court, Judge Thompson served as chief judge of Division Three from 1989 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1995. Judge Thompson also had the pleasure of serving two separate terms as the presiding chief judge of all three divisions of the Court of Appeals.

When asked to describe his most humorous experience on the bench, Judge Thompson recalled an incident that occurred when he was still in superior court. A witness in a negligent homicide case was asked if the defendant was in the courtroom. Highly suspicious, the witness scanned the courtroom and triumphantly pronounced she had discovered the defendant. She then pointed an accusatory finger at Judge Thompson’s court reporter. Apparently she thought the prosecutor and the court were attempting to trick her. The witness’s pronouncement brought down the house.

Judge Thompson found his years on the appellate bench extremely gratifying and the source of many warm memories.

 

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