Judge David Stevens highlights trial record and 'rule of law' in State Supreme Court bid

Judge David Stevens, a superior court judge in Mason County, told a televised forum he is running for the Washington State Supreme Court to restore what he called 'common sense' and protect the rule of law. He framed the race as consequential to how courts interpret constitutional questions and said the Supreme Court must not become an 'ideological' body disconnected from legal history.

Stevens described a long legal career that includes military service, work as a federal investigator at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, time as a deputy prosecutor and public defender, and his appointment to the bench in Mason County. "I've done over 200 criminal jury trials, both as a deputy prosecutor and as a judge," he said, citing the breadth of his courtroom experience as central to his qualifications for higher office.

Stevens also referenced honors from law school and overseas prosecutorial work, saying those experiences shaped his view that judges must enforce the Constitution's text and historical meaning. The interviewer, who identified herself in the transcript as Erica Scribe, asked Stevens to explain what else is at stake in the election; Stevens said several categories of cases, from constitutional interpretation to local public-safety questions, will come before the court.