Spokane Superior Court Cozza Vs. Moe: The Loser Could Soon Be Appointed To Court

Spokane voters must choose between two nearly equal candidates seeking a judge’s seat on Spokane’s Superior Court.

Superior Court Commissioner Royce Moe or District Court Judge Sam Cozza gets the job with a victory on Nov. 5.

Whoever loses, though, may show up on the same court within a year.

Spokane County is likely to add another judge to Superior Court; this fall’s loser could be the appointee to that seat, or else run for the spot when an election for that position takes place next November.

Moe, 49, hopes he can overcome the distance between himself and Cozza that registered in the September primary.

The 41-year-old Cozza grabbed 44 percent of the vote in the three-man primary. Moe had 34 percent.

Moe’s hope is to convince voters he’s the more experienced, better-rounded candidate. Cozza, a lifelong city resident and former county deputy prosecutor, hopes to springboard from the job he’s had the past six years to a seat on Superior Court.

The winner gets the $99,000 a year job vacated by resigning Superior Court Judge Thomas Merryman.

Area lawyers who filled out a questionnaire ranked them both as fully qualified for the Superior Court. On a 1-5 scale, Moe earned a 4.1 and Cozza scored a 3.8.

“I’d like to see the bar poll results as a report card handed in by the attorneys in the county,” Moe said. “It says that they think I’ve performed pretty well.”

Cozza contends he’s doing more actual judge’s work than Moe, handling civil and criminal cases in District Court instead of a commissioner’s duties. A court commissioner usually handles less complex, non-trial court matters.

“Royce hasn’t improved his standing with voters in the two years since his last election,” Cozza argued, pointing to Moe’s 35 percent turnout in 1994’s primary against Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen.

Moe and Cozza both insist they’ve got the planning and administrative skills needed to keep cases moving in the busy Superior Court.

Cozza has helped set new policies in District Court to ensure tighter control of bail for domestic violence offenders. He also helped start a more active anti-drunken driving program aimed at people convicted of that crime.

Moe helped create a consortium of agencies dealing with domestic violence cases in Superior Court. He’s also coordinated efforts that streamlined the juvenile justice system.

Whichever man loses might be an odds-on favorite for appointment to the court if county commissioners approve money for an 11th judge.

With an all-time caseload bogging down the system, an 11th judge is a strong possibility.

The governor gets to appoint the person for that spot.

But then state law requires the appointed judge to run in November 1997 for the remainder of the four-year term.

, DataTimes MEMO: See individual profiles by name of candidate

This sidebar appeared with the story: THE JOB Spokane County Superior Court judges serve four-year terms and are paid $99,015 annually.