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closeSumner names new judge
Former Judge Stephen Shelton leaves to work in Puyallup full-time; new judge has a background in Pierce and King counties
Roxanne Cooke
Monday’s council meeting in Sumner elicited council approval to appoint a new municipal court judge, Timothy A. Jenkins, who will replace former Judge Stephen Shelton.
Formerly Shelton served one day per week as Sumner’s judge and the rest of the week as a judge in Puyallup. The city of Puyallup switched to a full-time court this summer, so Shelton could no longer devote part of his time to the city of Sumner.
Jenkins will serve the remainder of Shelton’s four-year term to the end of 2009. He holds a juris doctorate from the University of Puget Sound. At UPS, Jenkins was the president of the Student Bar Association.
He also earned a master’s in education and bachelor’s in political science from Montana State University.
Most recently, Jenkins served as a public defender in Puyallup and Sumner while operating his private practice. He is also a hearing examiner for Kent and Federal Way in drug forfeiture proceedings.
Previously, he was a member and manager of Jenkins, Hardy and Associates PLLC, practicing in criminal defense, small business, personal injury, city public defense, wills and employment matters.
Jenkins has served as a public defender and city prosecutor in Auburn and Federal Way. His judicial experience includes serving as the pro tem judge in Renton, Kent, Des Moines, SeaTac and King County District Court South Division.
During Monday’s meeting, the council adjourned to an executive session to review Jenkins’ qualifications before voting to approve the appointment in public.
All 12 applicants went through a rigorous screening process, said City Administrator John Doan. Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow recommended Jenkins for approval.
“There were a lot of good candidates and I think we got the best one,” said Councilman Randy Hynek.
Councilmember Steve Allsop said he was sad to hear that Shelton would be leaving Sumner but added that he was looking forward to approving Jenkins’ appointment.
The municipal court in Sumner handles misdemeanors, traffic infractions, parking violations and domestic violence charges within the city.