Life Story
Born in Peoria and raised in a Norman Rockwell existence in Morton, Illinois, at twelve I was suddenly immersed in the exciting culture of early 70's industrial England, where my father worked as an Engineer for Caterpillar Tractor Company. We took full advantage of the experience, and at an early age I learned to appreciate the world's diversity. Once back to rural Illinois I completed high school and started college at the University of Illinois. Caterpillar transferred my parents to Tokyo, where I spent my vacations and breaks through the end of law school, years later. The experience of living in different countries at an early age helped shape me as a person and taught me to respect people from all types of backgrounds and cultures. Stanford Law School introduced me to the world of legal scholarship in a world class setting. I fell in love with the law and realized then that it was my destiny to help people solve their problems.
As a small boy I was repeatedly told about my ancestors who had come to this country in 1638 to seek religious freedom and whose descendents were later instrumental in the American Revolution. I was especially captivated by the story about my great grandfather who had started a taxpayer's revolt together with his brother back in 1680, rising up against the British Governor of New York, who promptly imprisoned them. Another great grandfather became the first Judge for Suffolk County, New York, appointed to the bench around 1750. Later my ancestors were officers in the Continental Army and helped organize privateers to fight the British. Law School helped me better appreciate the lengths my grandfathers had gone to in order to secure our freedoms and to promote the Rule of Law.
After Stanford I moved on to a small boutique law firm in Seattle, eventually changing course by working for a legal aid firm back in England in the North of London, where I was able to experience the origins of our legal system first hand, assisting with cases in the Old Bailey and traveling around London to attend Crown Courts and meet with barristers in their ancient offices in the Inns of Court. Back in Seattle working as a public defender, I met my amazing wife, Mimi Buescher, with whom I set off for Micronesia after our first child, Alexandra, was born.
In Saipan we both served as Prosecutors for the Attorney General's Office. I was quickly promoted to Chief of the Criminal Division, supervising a complex and sophisticated array of prosecutions, and Mimi handled all appeals on major cases. Returning home after Saipan we started the first public defender office in Island County and were blessed with our second child, a son, Toban. Since our arrival here in 1990 we have dedicated ourselves to our family, our work and our community. We have developed a successful law practice and have worked hard to protect our clients and to assist them to solve their legal problems. The benefits of community service are part of the fabric of our lives and it is with the full support of my family that I am seeking the Office of Island County Superior Court Judge. They understand and share my commitment to this community and have been shaped by the life we have shared here.
My broad life experience has taught me that all people are essentially the same deep down. I know that we may take different paths, but we are all on the same journey. The compassion, understanding and patience I have learned over all these years dealing with people from many different cultures and walks of life will be invaluable in helping me deal with the wide array of litigants I will serve when I am Judge.