[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 150 (Thursday, October 4, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S12760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Nomination of Richard A. Jones

  Richard Jones comes to the Senate with an extraordinary record. He 
has been in the active practice of law since graduating from the 
University of Washington Law School in 1975; has been a prosecuting 
attorney for King County, WA; staff attorney for the Port of Seattle 
legal department. He has extensive community service activities with 
the board of directors of the YMCA in greater Seattle, and was 
president of that organization; and has been recommended by the 
American Bar Association as unanimously ``well qualified.''
  President Bush nominated Judge Richard A. Jones to be a U.S. District 
Court Judge for the Western District of Washington on March 19, 2007. A 
hearing was held on his nomination on July 19, and the Judiciary 
Committee reported his nomination favorably on September 6.
  He is an experienced litigator and jurist with an extensive record of 
public service.
  Judge Jones graduated from Seattle University in 1972. He graduated 
from the University of Washington School of Law in 1975.
  After law school, he worked as a deputy prosecuting attorney for the 
King County Prosecuting Attorney's office. There he prosecuted a wide 
variety of cases in matters ranging from DWI to murder prosecutions.
  In 1978, he became a staff attorney with the Port of Seattle Legal 
Department. There he served as one of two in-house counsel providing 
legal advice and management services to all legal departments, with 
primary responsibility for the human resources, police, and fire 
departments.
  In 1983, Judge Jones joined Bogle and Gates, one of the oldest and 
largest firms in Seattle, as an associate. There he managed cases in 
the firm's litigation and labor departments, primarily in the area of 
corporate commercial litigation.
  From 1988 to 1994, Judge Jones served as an assistant U.S. attorney 
for the Western District of Washington. His work there entailed 
investigating and prosecuting major crimes such as bank robberies and 
fraud, as well as several years of work with the Drug Prosecution 
Division of the U.S. attorney's office.
  In 1994, he was appointed King County Superior Court Judge to fill 
the term of a deceased judge. He was elected to that position in 1996 
and re-elected in 2000 and 2004. His caseload has involved an extensive 
variety of civil, criminal, and juvenile matters. He also briefly 
served as Acting U.S. Magistrate for the court to which he is nominated 
in 1995 and 1997.
  In 2004, Judge Jones was the recipient of both the King County Bar 
Association's Judge of the Year Award and the Washington State Bar 
Association's Outstanding Judge of the Year Award.
  Throughout his legal career, Judge Jones has shown a strong 
commitment to the community. He served not only as president of the 
Loren Miller Bar Association, but also as president of the YMCA of 
Greater Seattle.
  The American Bar Association has unanimously rated Judge Jones ``Well 
Qualified.''