Cozza, Moe Trade Jabs In Superior Court Race

Two Spokane County judicial candidates are fighting for votes the time-honored way - crowing about their background and suggesting the other guy doesn’t measure up.

Royce Moe and Sam Cozza both insist their current jobs make them best prepared to be a Superior Court judge.

Both also can argue their jobs are a stone’s throw from the seat they’re after - the vacancy created by Judge Thomas Merryman’s retirement in December.

Moe, a Superior Court commissioner, says his eight years in that job, plus his years in private practice, give him a diverse legal background.

“My opponent is one-dimensional,” Moe said of Cozza. “His experience is in criminal law.”

Cozza, a District Court judge for six years, insists he’s done much of the work a Superior Court judge does.

Before joining the bench, Cozza worked for eight years as a Spokane County deputy prosecutor assigned to a wide range of criminal cases.

He does less criminal work now in District Court, but he said he uses the same skills as a judge in Superior Court.

“The procedures don’t change. You still have to apply the law to the facts and have to know the rules of evidence,” Cozza said.

Both candidates deal with a variety of civil and criminal matters. Moe’s biggest exposure to criminal cases comes during shifts as a Juvenile Court judge.

A large portion of Cozza’s workload is domestic violence and drunken driving cases. He also handles misdemeanor criminal cases, such as criminal trespass or driving without a license.

The two were the top finishers in September’s three-man primary. Cozza finished first with 44 percent of the vote. Moe received 34 percent.

The outcome puzzled Moe, who was highestrated candidate in the Spokane County Bar Association’s poll of local attorneys. Cozza finished third.

After the primary, Moe said Cozza’s showing might be due to ads that suggest to voters that Cozza already serves on the Superior Court.

He’s upset that Cozza’s ads prominently feature the word “JUDGE” in large letters next to his name.

State panels have said candidates like Cozza can advertise themselves as judges when trying to get a job on a different court.

“I’m entitled to refer to myself as a judge,” Cozza said.

He’s irritated with Moe for sending out mailings claiming that Cozza works in a “minor crimes” court.

“It doesn’t do any good for a member of that bench to say we’re minor leaguers down here,” Cozza complained.

Last month marked the second time in two years Moe finished second in a Superior Court primary. Against Tari Eitzen in 1994, Moe grabbed about 35 percent of the vote.

, DataTimes