Page 11 - Tacoma-Pierce County Lawyer Magazine - September October 2018

A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do. - Bob Dylan
The Honorable Frank Dacca
By Judge John R. Hickman
I rst met Judge Dacca in 1981 at Western State Hospital, not on Ward E-1. We both had DAC
contracts to represent patients for their mental health hearings. A few months later we formed a partnership but, more importantly, I formed a friendship which has lasted for over 35 years. So I know
a little something about the Honorable Frank Dacca.
Background information: Judge Dacca was appointed to the bench by the Pierce County Council in 2003. Shortly therea er he won a contested race in 2004, and has run unopposed since that date. His education included graduating from Fife High School in 1965. He majored in political science
at the University of Washington, Phi Beta Kappa, graduating in 1969. Before entering law school he owed Uncle Sam service time and spent 1969 to 1975 in
the army reserves. He attended UC Davis Law School, in California, and graduated in 1973. More importantly, he met an attractive undergrad at UC Davis, named Terry Mosher. ey were married in March of 1974.
His job resume includes clerking for Justice Robert Hunter, Washington Supreme Court, 1973 – 1974. Assistant US Attorney General in Los Angeles, California, 1974 – 1977. Back to Washington State as an associate for Burgess and Kennedy doing insurance defense work until 1980. From 1981 until his appointment in 2003 he was a general practitioner in his home town of Fife, Washington.
To understand Judge Dacca’s character
is to appreciate his roots. Frank’s family have been farmers in the Fife Valley since the early 1900s. On his father’s side, they emigrated from Genoa, Italy. Growing up on a truck farm you learn a strong work ethic. Many of the local youth
who worked on the farm and learned
the value of hard labor called it “Dacca University”. Judge Dacca attended his parents’ schools through college. He brought that work ethic to his practice and to the bench.
Public service has been part of his family tradition, his father having served on
the Fife City Council for 25 years. Judge Dacca is past president of the Fife Rotary and a founding member of the Fife Historical Society. He bleeds “Purple and Gold”, having been a Husky football season ticket holder since the early 1980s.
Terry Dacca passed away in 2011 a er a heroic battle against cancer, a loss Frank su ered with grace and dignity. Terry had been a respected co-worker in the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s o ce for 30 years. e Judge now enjoys the company of a new grandson; both
of his adult sons live in Gig Harbor.
He hired a young legal assistant, Mary Stout, who has been with him through thick and thin for over 35 years until her recent retirement as his judicial assistant.
Judge Dacca has been very honored to serve the citizens of Pierce County. His greatest accomplishment was helping people under stress to progress in life. He believes that little decisions can have a big impact on the lives of litigants. Being a judge, in his mind, is the best job in the legal eld. Judge Dacca has recently been recognized as the 2018 District Court Judge of the Year by the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s o ce.
Future plans: New grandson, gardening, pro tem, “away” games for Huskies and exercising his First Amendment rights.
Weirdest case: “Unlawful Practice of Dentistry”. e defendant was pro se. He did his practice out of a single-wide mobile home in East Pierce County. Judge Dacca saw more photographs of open mouths than you would ever see in a lifetime. Verdict: Guilty.
We all wish Judge Dacca a wonderful new beginning as he heads towards retirement at the end of the year. He did his job with respect for the dignity of the court and with a desire for everyone in his court to receive a fair hearing, no matter what the outcome.
Carry on.
Your friend,
John R. Hickman
Judge John R. Hickman has been a Superior Court Judge since 2006. He began a family law practice in 1981 with Franklin L. Dacca.
Veteran Judges Retire After 95 Years of Service
September/October 2018 | PIERCE COUNTY LAWYER 11