Magistrate Watson To Retire

First Judicial District Magistrate Barry Watson likes to say they’re not files, they’re families. They’re not cases, they’re people. “You have to deal with them as individuals,” Watson said in his chambers Monday. “You have to give each case the amount of time that case needs.” After dealing with thousands of cases each year in that manner for the past 22 years as a full-time magistrate in Kootenai County, Watson is retiring later this month. Starting in February, he will begin working as a senior magistrate, which means he will handle cases as needed in the county, but only on a part-time basis/David Cole, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.