Crossposted from the Superior Court Medium blog

On Jan. 12, Judge Averil Rothrock became Presiding Judge of the King County Superior Court, and Judge Tanya L. Thorp became Assistant Presiding Judge.

Judge Rothrock, pictured above, takes on the role of Presiding Judge after having served as Assistant Presiding Judge in 2024 and 2025, and Chief Judge of the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center in 2022. Judge Rothrock was appointed to the King County Superior Court bench in 2018.

“Courts exist for the public, not the other way around,” Judge Rothrock said. “My colleagues believe in our public service mission, and I am proud to stand among them. We are committed to treating every person who enters our courthouses with dignity, whether they are a litigant, juror, lawyer, witness, staff member, or person lost on the wrong floor.”

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