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I had the privilege of having Andrew Van Winkle staff my Olympia office for several years when I served in the State Senate. I have never had a staffer as knowledgeable about legislation and prepared to answer any question posed by me or my constituents. His life story is inspiring—his working class upbringing in Spokane gives him a unique understanding of how the justice system can serve us all.

— Chris Marr
State Senator (retired)

I zealously endorse Andrew Van Winkle. I have worked as a public defender since 1996 and I have been before countless judges, commissioners and pro tems. There is nothing more disheartening, time consuming and delegitimizing to the justice system than going before an unknowledgeable, ill-prepared or unjust tribunal. During the last two years of my practice I had the honor to go before Andrew Van Winkle on the mental health docket when he was filling in as a pro tem. I can tell you that he encompassed every characteristic an attorney seeks from someone on the bench. He was smart, informed, concise, polite, and fair. He knew the law and the facts inside and out in an area of the law that can be challenging for some that have been practising for years and especially for someone just filling in. Particularly significant was that both sides felt they were treated fairly which is not always the case and makes for a smooth running system. I am friends with many prosecutors and they respect him as much as I do. That is a rare quality and makes for a very strong judicial system. Spokane would be very lucky to have him as a superior court judge.

— April Pearce
retired Pubic Defender Spokane County

Andrew Van Winkle is an incredible legal mind and a brilliant lawyer. He is dedicated, knowledgeable and hardworking and I can't imagine anyone who would work harder to serve the people of Spokane County as a Superior Court Judge. I give him my wholehearted endorsement.

— Rachel Hamar
Attorney

I am currently the presiding judge in Chelan County District Court. I have had the pleasure to work with Andrew while we were both deputy prosecutors in Chelan County. Andrew was an excellent researcher and strong advocate for his client, you, the people of Washington. He was not afraid to take on difficult cases. He is well-spoken, and has a sharp legal mind. During the time I was able to work with him, he had compassion for victims of crime, as well as for the defendants, depending on their circumstances. His work for the Drug Court was invaluable, and is still being used today. Andrew saw the need to address drug and alcohol abuse as a contributing factor to criminal behavior, and developed a program to get the person help. If certain criteria were met in the applicant (such as not violent offenses), they would be screened and placed for consideration to the program. This would assist in the preventing of reoffending as well as increasing the defendant's quality of life. Andrew's ability to not only want to hold defendants accountable, but also use compassion for those circumstances that called for it, truly makes Andrew a perfect choice for the bench. It was only a matter of time before I felt that Andrew would seek the bench. He would make a wonderful judge for the people of Spokane County. His demeanor, compassion, research skills, breadth of legal knowledge, and his fair desire to hold persons accountable make him a excellent choice to be your next judge.

— Allen Blackmon
Judge, Chelan County District Court

Having served the citizens in eastern Washington for over the past nine years as a deputy prosecuting attorney, I know that it is vitally important to us all to have exceptional judges on the bench. I have known Andrew for several years. He has all the qualities we citizens of Spokane County want from our judges. His five years serving the people of Chelan County as a deputy prosecutor has given him the experience and skills to handle the rigors of conducting trials and other hearings as a judge. His extensive experience working for the Court of Appeals has given him a vast knowledge of every area of law that comes before the Superior Court. Andrew will make an exceptional judge for us citizens of Spokane County and he has my full support.

— Robert Lehman
Adams County Acting Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney