-Hello, my name is Gabe Rothstein.
I'm running for judge in Seattle Municipal Court.
I've lived on Capitol Hill since 2003.
I've been an advocate for the poor and underserved
for over 20 years.
I started as a public defender in 2005, a job
I still proudly hold.
My career has been dedicated to advocating for real
people, working with them, fighting for them,
and understanding what it's like to fight for your
freedom in an often hostile criminal justice system.
I believe that judges need to be patient and compassionate,
but also decisive.
People and justice deserve that.
Being a public defender is my full-time job, but also
I work as a pro tem judge.
A pro tem judge is similar to a substitute
teacher, just for judges.
Additionally, I'm the chair of the Washington
State Bar Association Character and Fitness Board.
And on nights and weekends, I take calls from
Youth Access to Counsel, so children can talk to
lawyers before being interrogated by police officers.
I'm also on the board of directors of the Home
and Recovery Center, an inpatient substance
abuse facility.
I believe strongly in treatment, in the accountability
that comes with recovery, I believe in redemption,
and I certainly believe in second chances.
If I've learned anything from my work with substance abuse,
the opposite of addiction is not sobriety, but connection.
Connection with friends, family, and loved ones.
Community!
I'm dedicated to serving the public interest, something
I would continue as a judge.
Even before becoming a public defender, I volunteered at
the Housing Justice Project and Unemployment Law Project,
helping Seattleites fight eviction and advocating for
their unemployment benefits.
Working in the public interest is a family value.
My mother was a social worker in Harlem before
going into private practice as a psychotherapist.
My father worked as an educator for 35 years in public
schools in the South Bronx.
I was an EMT in high school and volunteered for my
local ambulance squad.
I very much hope to be the kind of judge my
parents will be proud of.
Thank you.