[Vision2020] Hamlett Survives Election

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (November 6, 2004) Moscow-Pullman Daily News (with a special
thanks to Megan Doyle) -

 

68% voted to retain Judge Hamlett.  This strongly reflects a great
confidence vote as well as a breath of fresh air.

 

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Hamlett survives election; Frink says efforts worth it 

 

 

By Megan Doyle

Daily News staff writer

 

 

Latah County Magistrate William Hamlett said he could find no objection to
those who campaigned against his retainment on the bench. 

 

"It's what democracy is all about, I guess, gives people options," Hamlett
said. 

 

Darrell Frink of Moscow conducted an organized campaign prior to Tuesday's
general election to convince residents to vote against Hamlett's retainment
as magistrate. He put up signs throughout Latah County and wrote letters to
the editor in his campaign against the judge. 

 

Voters chose to keep Hamlett in his position by a vote of 68.49 percent to
31.51 percent. 

 

Hamlett said Frink was dissatisfied with a custody case he presided over. 

 

"I think he has another agenda other than that," Hamlett added, though he
says he doesn't know what the other agenda is. 

 

Frink said he was frustrated and didn't think Hamlett was concerned with the
best interests of his children, who live with their mother in Oregon. 

 

Frink indicated that he was unable to hire a lawyer to represent him in the
custody battle because he could not afford one. He also said the University
of Idaho legal aid program would not help him because they already had too
many other cases. 

 

"It's a manipulation tool, the money," Frink said. 

 

Frink also said the legal system does not allow a judge and lawyers to go
behind closed doors without their clients, but said the situation occurred
in his case. 

 

"There's a lot of injustice being done," Frink said. 

 

He believes some of the injustice comes straight from the bench. 

 

"The way I see it, the judges need to be more amicable to the people who
cannot afford a lawyer," Frink said. 

 

Though voters decided to retain Hamlett, Frink does not believe his efforts
were useless. 

 

Latah County Auditor Susan Petersen said of all the ballots cast in
Tuesday's election, 14.67 percent were considered under votes, which means
voters didn't mark yes or no for retainment. 

 

In the 2000 election, Hamlett received about 70 percent of the ballots cast
for retainment. 

 

In any case, this was Hamlett's last election. He plans to retire at the end
of his term. 

 

"After a while, you can't do anything else," Hamlett said about his decision
to retire rather than seek a different position. 

 

When a magistrate retires or is not retained in an election, a districtwide
Magistrate Commission, made up of county commissioners, mayors and citizen
representatives, selects a replacement. 

 

After 18 months as a magistrate, the commission can remove the appointed
candidate or allow a retainment election.

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