Former Spokane City Council president under consideration for State Supreme Court

A former president of the Spokane City Council and current Spokane County Superior Court judge is among the candidates under consideration for appointment to Washington’s top court.

Judge Breean Beggs is among roughly a dozen applicants seeking appointment by Gov. Bob Ferguson to serve on the state Supreme Court, Beggs confirmed Wednesday. Beggs said Wednesday the process is “ongoing.”

Beggs referred other questions to the governor’s office.

Brionna Aho, a spokesperson for Ferguson, confirmed Thursday that the governor plans to make an appointment by Dec. 1. According to Aho, at least one other applicant is from Spokane: Colleen Melody, the Wing Luke Civil Rights Division Chief in the Attorney General’s Office.

Ferguson will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Mary Yu, who has spent more than a decade on the court. Ferguson has previously stated that he will likely make the appointment by December 1.

The nine-member court is tasked with interpreting laws adopted by the Legislature, hearing appeals from lower courts and upholding the state and federal constitutions. Members serve six-year terms, and once on the court, typically enjoy strong records of re-election.

Five members of the current court were initially appointed to their position by previous governors. The opening is the first time Ferguson will appoint a member to the court.

Beggs was appointed as a Superior Court judge by former Gov. Jay Inslee in May 2023 and successfully ran for re-election in November 2024. Prior to his appointment, Beggs served seven years on the Spokane City Council.

Beggs has practiced law since 1991, focusing on civil rights, personal injury and employment. He gained prominence when he served as the director of the Center for Justice between 2004 and 2010 and has been an influential voice on police reform. Beggs represented the family of Otto Zehm in a lawsuit against the city that was settled out of court after Zehm died following a confrontation with Spokane police.

A father of three, Beggs graduated from Timberline High School in Lacey and earned a bachelor’s degree from Whitworth University in 1985 and a law degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 1991.

His appointment to the Supreme Court would provide additional representation for Eastern Washington on a body historically made up of those with deep ties to the West Side. Currently, Chief Justice Debra Stephens is a native of Spokane and began her legal career in the city after graduating from Gonzaga Law School. Her seatmate, Justice Barbara Madsen, also attended Gonzaga Law School, though her career began as a public defender in King and Snohomish counties, according to her court biography.

The remaining seven judges attended a variety of law schools around the state and country, including the University of Washington, the University of Southern California, Georgetown and Notre Dame.

The court is slated to lose Madsen in the coming years. Under state law, the mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court and Superior Court judges is 75 years old, with judges obligated to retire at the end of the calendar year they hit that mark.

By law, those appointed to the court fill the role until a special election can be held to determine who will serve the remainder of the term.