Page 14 - Tacoma-Pierce County Lawyer Magazine - September October 2018
P. 14

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded. - unknown
two decades, I sense she is reluctant to do so because of an unwillingness on her part to embarrass anyone. Additionally, while there are moments of levity in her court, I feel con dent in saying, from having spent many thousands of hours practicing before her in the early years
of my career, that she truly believes
the courtroom is a place where dignity and decorum must always be respected and maintained. As an illustration of
this point, on one occasion many years ago, I was sitting in the gallery in Judge Verhey’s courtroom while a coworker was trying a shopli ing case before her.  e defendant took the stand to testify and when defense counsel asked what
I recall to be a very benign question,
the defendant promptly burst into
very dramatic wailing, complete with crocodile tears. It was, frankly, humorous and I rolled my eyes (likely just as dramatically as the defendant). A short while later the jury took a brief recess. While they were out, Judge Verhey called me to the carpet for rolling my eyes where the jury might have been able
to see me. She was absolutely right, of course.
Looking back on her path to the bench, Judge Verhey expressed her appreciation for the loyal support and assistance
from all those who aided her along the way in the appointment and election process. Her campaign co-chairs Senator Lorraine Wojahn, Ronald E.  ompson, Klaus Snyder, Ben Bettridge, Bob and Mary Jean Rovai; campaign advisors
and managers Dick Sonntag and Jim
Leggett, and a “wonderful, loyal, hard- working and dedicated” campaign team of attorneys, friends, neighbors and colleagues who have been there along the way. She also is deeply thankful for the support she has received through the years from various community organizations and labor unions. “Words cannot express my gratitude,” she says.
As for what the future holds for Judge Verhey a er retirement? First and foremost, she is going to take some
time to focus just on family and friends. During her quarter-century on the bench, Judge Verhey has lost her parents, her grandmother, and one of her sisters. She is keenly aware how quickly time
can pass, and looks forward to spending uninterrupted quality time with those she loves. She and her husband, Jim, who retired from practice about a decade ago, celebrated 30 years of marriage this year.  ey have two sons, Tommy, a WSU graduate currently working for Pierce County, and Jimmy, who is preparing to go to college next year a er he graduates from high school. She is proud of her sons, and her face glows when she speaks about them. An avid and determined tennis player, she also plans to spend time attending tennis tournaments
and catching up on projects that she has been putting o  for years. She and her husband are excited to embark on pilgrimages to as many MLB ballparks throughout the country as they can in the future.
I would like to take this opportunity to
extend my own appreciation and thanks to Judge Verhey for her many years of public service. And I would also like
to thank her for the many lessons she helped me learn as a new and developing attorney. I am proud to call her my friend. Congratulations and best wishes for the years ahead.
Jennifer Taylor
is a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Tacoma. She has been employed by the City for 20 years. Her practice focuses on general municipal issues and civil litigation.
Veteran Judges Retire After 95 Years of Service
14 PIERCE COUNTY LAWYER | September/October 2018


































































































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