Today's Stories about Norm Maleng

Maleng leaves a living legacy, Seattle Times, May 26, 2007. Maleng was a mentor to many lawyers, including some who have gone on to be judges (e.g., Ricardo Martinez, Robert Lasnik, Mary Yu) and even governor (Gary Locke).

Martinez said Maleng often told his prosecutors, "Our job is to do justice, and that doesn't necessarily mean a conviction."

Maleng also was influential in a range of legal and institutional developments -- the passage of Sentencing Reform Act, the development of drug court, the creation of a Special Assault unit, the passage of laws requiring registration of sex offenders.

Maleng's legacy remembered, Seattle P-I, May 26, 2007.

Even many of the county's defense attorneys, who often disagreed with many of Maleng's views on prosecuting crimes, were saddened.

"I don't think there is any opponent that I have ever had that I respected more," said Seattle defense attorney Jeff Robinson. "I respect him. I like him as a person. And I am afraid that we will not see his like again."

(Robinson, a partner in Schroeter Goldmark and Bender, is also a Trial Ad instructor.)

Maleng was a class act, with a big heart, Seattle P-I, May 26, 2007. Columnist Robert L. Jamieson Jr. recounts stories of Maleng's kindness to crime victims' families.

A man of faith, Maleng lived out the divine words of Scripture: Learn to do right; seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Norm Maleng: A man to emulate, Seattle P-I editorial, May 25, 2007.

David Horsey's tribute to Maleng, coming in Sunday's print P-I.

Aide will step in for now; after that, who knows?, Seattle Times, May 26, 2007.

• On Tuesday, the County Council will appoint one of Maleng's top assistants to serve as interim county prosecutor in the short term.
• Within 60 days the County Council will appoint an interim prosecutor. Since Maleng was a Republican, the appointment will probably be made from a list of names submitted from the county Republic party.
• In November, the voters will select a successor to serve the remainder of Maleng's term (till Dec. 2010). Candidates must file by June 8 -- so there will be a lot of people trying to make a big decision.

The article speculates about who might be in the running -- for both the interim appointments and the election.

Scramble on to fill Maleng's job, which has rarely gone vacant, Seattle P-I, May 26, 2007. More about the process of appointing interims and more about possible candidates (some overlap with the Times but also some different names). A couple of tidbits:

• Our county has only had 3 prosecutors in the last 59 years!
• Sen. Warren Magnuson began his political career as King County Prosecutor.

See also letters to the editor in the Times, May 26.

Update: See also The loss of an icon, Seattle Times editorial, May 27, 2007.