Former Cheney attorney elevated to judgeship

Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Donald J. Richter — a former public defender with the Cheney Municipal Court — to Pacific and Wahkiakum County Superior Court. He replaces Judge Doug Goelz, who will retire at the end of the year.

Richter spent the past four and a half years as a deputy county prosecutor in Pacific and Cowlitz Counties, most recently working as the chief deputy prosecutor in Pacific County. In his current role, he has helped stand up and support a successful drug court that benefits both the participants and the community as a whole.

Before that, he worked as a criminal defense at...