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30 Under 35 | Next question: Robert Grim

The Wenatchee World - 2/25/2017

Feb. 25--The Wenatchee Valley Business World's "30 Under 35" program honored young community leaders early last year. We tap their thoughts in this Sunday interview series.

Robert Grim, 31

District court judge, Okanogan County District Court

A graduate of Liberty Bell High School in Winthrop, Grim graduated first from Washington State University, then Gonzaga University School of Law. He worked with a Wenatchee law firm before being appointed in 2015 by Okanogan County commissioners as a District Court judge. Last fall, he ran unopposed for the position.

Q. What accomplishments are you most proud of?

A. As a District Court judge, I preside over cases involving misdemeanor criminal offenses, traffic violations, protection orders and civil disputes with a dollar amount of $100,000 or less. I also preside over a therapeutic DUI Court that has helped high-risk, repeat DUI offenders end their substance abuse, gain employment, and become responsible, law-abiding citizens. We give our participants the access to treatment and encouragement (and occasionally the punishment) they need to succeed, and they supply the hard work. Change is difficult, so I'm proud of our successful graduates who have made the commitment to turn their lives around.

Q. What are your goals?

A. In the years to come, my goals are to update our community service program to give non-violent offenders a means to pay for their crimes besides occupying a jail cell; to utilize therapeutic court principles more frequently to help reduce the recidivism rates of repeat offenders through increased judicial intervention; to improve our courthouse security measures; and to engage in greater outreach with the towns and communities within Okanogan County to foster communication and promote public confidence in the judiciary.

Q. How are you contributing to the success of your community?

A. Okanogan County has been my home for the vast majority of my 30 years, so I am strongly committed to seeing that its courts serve the people well. District Court is often referred to as the "People's Court," so I think it's important for judges to be approachable, open-minded, and of an even temperament since we have such frequent contact with the public. Okanogan County faces some unique challenges given our geographic expansiveness and limited resources, and some not-so-unique struggles with drug abuse, poverty, and mental illness. I don't have any easy answers, but I look forward to working with community members and doing whatever I can in my role as judge to find solutions to these problems.

Reach Mike Irwin at 509-665-1179 or irwin@wenatcheeworld.com. Read his blog Everyday Business. follow him on Twitter at @MikeIrwinWW.

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(c)2017 The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.)

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