What makes a good judge?

A judge isn't a politician — you're voting for someone who will apply the law fairly to whatever walks through the door. Brilliance is the floor, not the finish line: a judge has to know the law cold, but what separates a good one is temperament — patience, fairness, and an even keel when a courtroom is tense. What matters most is whether people feel heard; decades of research show people trust a court based on how they were treated, not on whether they won.

What is a Judge Pro Tempore?

"Pro tempore" means "for the time being." A judge pro tempore is a practicing lawyer the court brings in to sit as a judge temporarily, hearing real cases and making real decisions when the regular judges need coverage. Lawyers don't appoint themselves — the sitting judges choose attorneys they trust to run a courtroom fairly. Janelle has served as a Judge Pro Tempore in Walla Walla County since 2015, more than twenty times, and was appointed pro tem to the District Court itself in 2026.

Why is there no "R" or "D" next to a judge's name?

In Washington, every judicial race is nonpartisan by law, from the Supreme Court down to District Court. A legislator is elected to represent a side; a judge is supposed to be on no one's side but the law's, treating each person the same regardless of party. That is also why a good judge won't tell you how they'd rule on the issues you care about. You judge them on fairness, temperament, integrity, and the right experience — not party.

What does a district court actually do?

District Court is Washington's court of limited jurisdiction — the court that handles the everyday legal matters closest to ordinary life: traffic tickets, small claims, protection orders, and disputes between neighbors. Most people who stand there don't even have a lawyer.

What are good questions to ask before you vote?

Have they done the kind of work this court does? Do they have the temperament for it? Is their record clean? Will they refuse to tell you how they'd rule? Do the people who've seen them work respect them?

Your Questions, Answered

Voting for judges can feel like a guessing game. No party labels, unfamiliar names, so a lot of people skip it. That's a shame, because District Court is the court closest to your life: a traffic ticket, a small claim, a protection order, a dispute between neighbors. Most people who stand there don't even have a lawyer.
Here's how to size up a judge without being one.
A judge isn't a politician. You're not voting for the outcomes you want. You're voting for someone who will apply the law fairly to whatever walks through the door. Be wary of any candidate who hints at how they'd rule. A judge who has already decided isn't being impartial.
Brilliance is the floor, not the finish line. A judge has to know the law cold, but that's the price of admission, not the whole job. The sharpest legal mind doesn't automatically make the best judge. What separates a good one is temperament: patience, fairness, and an even keel when a courtroom is tense. The best judges have both. You can teach the law. You can't easily teach someone to stay calm, decent, and engaged under pressure. And you can't teach the judgment to see a whole case, not just the legal question in front of you. That comes from lived experience and a long, varied career.
What matters most is whether people feel heard. Decades of research show people trust a court based on how they were treated, not on whether they won. In a court where most people have no lawyer, a judge who listens isn't being nice. That's the job.
One honest thing. This is Janelle Carman-Wagner's campaign, so of course we think she fits. Don't take our word for it. Hold her to the questions above. Twenty-five years in Walla Walla County courtrooms. First in her class at Gonzaga Law and the Dean's Medal. An appeal argued and won at the Washington Supreme Court. And since 2015 she has actually done the job as a pro tempore judge. Ask her what kind of judge she'll be, and she talks about the person standing in front of the bench.
Then hold every name on your ballot to the same standard. That's how you get a good judge.

[Meet Janelle →]

Judicial Temperament, Explained — Judicature, Duke Law's Bolch Judicial Institute
Procedural Fairness: A Key Ingredient in Public Satisfaction — American Judges Association
Informed Voters – Fair Judges Project — National Association of Women Judges
Washington Code of Judicial Conduct — Washington Courts
"Pro tempore" means "for the time being." A judge pro tempore is a practicing lawyer the court brings in to sit as a judge temporarily, hearing real cases and making real decisions when the regular judges need coverage. The key thing to know: lawyers don't appoint themselves. The sitting judges choose who fills in for them, and they pick attorneys they trust to run a courtroom fairly. It's a vote of confidence from the people who already do the job.
Janelle has served as a Judge Pro Tempore in Walla Walla County since 2015, more than twenty times, and was appointed pro tem to the District Court itself in 2026. She's already done the work.
In Washington, every judicial race is nonpartisan by law, from the Supreme Court down to District Court. The reason goes to what a judge is. A legislator is elected to represent a side. A judge is supposed to be on no one's side but the law's, treating each person the same regardless of party. You can't do that job as a partisan, which is also why a good judge won't tell you how they'd rule on the issues you care about. As retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor put it, you want judges who "stand for one thing and only one thing": fairness.
So you judge them on fairness, temperament, integrity, and the right experience, not party.
District Court is Washington's "court of limited jurisdiction," the court that handles the everyday legal matters that touch ordinary life: traffic tickets, small claims, protection orders, misdemeanors and DUIs, neighbor disputes, debt cases. It's where most people actually meet the justice system, and often they're there without a lawyer. That makes the job hands-on: running a busy courtroom in real time, ruling on the spot, and setting the tone for whether people feel they got a fair shake even when they lose.
It's the court closest to home, and the judge who runs it is on your ballot. Janelle has worked in it for 25 years.
You don't need a law degree, just a few of the questions evaluators use:
1. Have they done the kind of work this court does? Not just any lawyer, the right experience.
2. Do they have the temperament for it? Patience and fairness under pressure.
3. Is their record clean? You can check any Washington attorney's standing and discipline at the state bar. It's public.
4. Will they refuse to tell you how they'd rule? The right answer is yes. A judge who promises outcomes isn't being impartial.
5. Do the people who've seen them work respect them? Have the sitting judges trusted them to fill in?
Run those on every name on your ballot, ours included.
Item description“I’m running because I’ve spent 25 years in this courthouse. I know how this court works because I’ve been doing some of that work.
The court’s first job is to apply the law correctly and consistently, the same way for anyone who walks in. This means accountability. When the law is broken, the court’s response has to be real, and victims deserve a court that takes the responsibility seriously.
It also means paying attention to what;’s actually in front of you. Anyone who’s watched this court knows the same people keep coming back, and underneath the repeat cases there’s often addiction or untreated mental illness. Handing down the same sentence a fifth time the didn’t work the first four isn’t being tough, it’s pushing a revolving door that creates new victims. Walla Walla has real treatment and recovery resources, and the law gives this court lawful tools to pair accountability with them. Used well, that’s how a court protects a community; few repeat offenses, fewer victims, less burden on the county.
That’s why I’m running, to apply the law fairly, hold people accountable, and use the tools we already have to close the revolving door where it can be closed.”