Judge Huggins presently sits on the bench of the King County Superior Court, where she has served since 1988. Prior to becoming a superior court judge, she was a judge on the Seattle Municipal Court. When she was appointed to that position in 1983, she became the first African American woman judge in the State of Washington.

Judge Huggins began a nursing career after obtaining her nursing degree at Akron University in Ohio. She then attended the University of Arkansas, earning her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degree from that institution. Her legal career began as a trial attorney with Associated Counsel for the Accused, a private, nonprofit public defender firm in Seattle.

Judge Huggins has an impressive mix of civil and judicial accomplishments. In 1991, she received the Totem Council Girl Scout of the Year Award. She also served as a People to People Delegate to Pacific Rim Countries on behalf of the America Judges' Association. She recently received the President's Award from the King County Chapter of Washington Women Lawyers. Prior to that, she received the Woman Judge of the Year Award from the National Bar Association.

Her recent duty as one of the deans for Judicial Orientation for the Superior Court Judges' Association represents just one of her activities in the area of legal education. She has also served as an instructor in a variety of subject areas, including issues relating to domestic violence and other areas of criminal law.

Judge Huggins has provided her time and ideas to a variety of organizations. Among them are the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission, the Washington State Gender and Justice Implementation Task Force, the Domestic Violence Task Force, and the Family Law Committee of the Superior Court Judges' Association.

One of the true measures of the success of a judge is how she is perceived by those who appear before her. In the case of Judge Huggins, the most frequently heard comments are that she is eminently fair and truly listens to those who appear before her. While defendants accused of crime do not always agree with the decisions that she makes, they usually believe that Judge Huggins has truly listened to what they have said.

Judge Huggins is the proud mother of four adults, three daughters and a son. And she is particularly proud of her new grandchild.

Judges and the greater public should be proud that Judge Huggins sits on the Superior Court bench. We all benefit from her service.

Ronald E. Cox is a judge of the Washington Court of Appeals, Division I, and also serves as a member of the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission.