Judge pauses WA’s new law creating standards for sheriff candidates

A Thurston County Superior Court judge on Wednesday paused a new law that would have put more requirements on candidates running for county sheriff in Washington.

The ruling came less than a day before the law was set to go into effect. The law would have required local sheriffs to be certified by the state’s Criminal Justice Training Commission and submit to a background check before filing to run for election. It also mandated that sheriffs need at least five years of law enforcement experience.

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Thurston County Judge Christine Schaller ruled the new law, Senate Bill 5974, unconstitutional. She said the requirements for elected sheriffs as set out by the new law impose a higher standard on people looking to run for sheriff’s office than for other elected offices.

“It appears that the legislature does not trust the people of this state of Washington to have good judgement and elect people to the office of sheriff who will promote those goals,” Schaller said. “Or that voters will not vote out a sheriff who does not promote those goals or who does not represent what each voter believes is important to that position.”

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Four sheriffs who are up for reelection this year — John Nowels of Spokane County, Glenn Blakeslee of Pend Oreille County, Brad Manke of Stevens County, and Ray Maycumber of Ferry County — brought the initial lawsuit against the state for passing SB 5974. The group said Wednesday they were relieved to see the law paused.

“If this law was allowed to go into effect, it would also trespass on our constitutional right to run for office and to have unfair qualifications put on sheriffs that are put on no one else,” Nowels said.

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With the temporary injunction in place pausing these new requirements, Blakeslee said he wouldn’t be surprised to see more candidates file for sheriff elections in the next week.

In addition to having to submit a background test and be certified by a commission, the new law would’ve required candidates to be at least 25 years old, and go through a social media and background check.

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Supporters of the law have said it would hold sheriffs to the same standards as police chiefs.

The Solicitor General’s Office is expected to appeal the case.