Deputy Prosecutor Bangerter seeks seat
More than 13 years into his tenure, Okanogan County District Court Judge Charles Short faces a challenger on the ballot for the first time.
John Bangerter, currently a criminal prosecutor for Okanogan County, hopes to unseat Short and realize his dream of becoming a judge.
While Bangerter said he has gained the respect of his peers as a prosecutor, even among the defense attorneys who routinely oppose him in court, he believes the role of judge best suits his temperament.
“I think it’s the pinnacle position where I can have an impact on the community,” he said.
“Sometimes being a prosecutor or a defense attorney can be very combative,” Bangerter added. “I’ve been much more of a peace-seeker, a person who seeks to find the middle ground and is good at listening.”
Short, seeking his fourth full term after he was appointed to replace Judge Henry Rawson in 2013, also said he has a passion for serving his community. Short was born in Omak and raised on a cattle and alfalfa ranch outside Nespelem.
“I’ve loved this county and loved the people here,” Short said. “I want to serve them in the best way possible, and … I want to continue the projects that I’ve started, to improve how we serve the public.”
Courtroom innovations
Short said the innovations he has brought to the county’s rural district court have attracted national recognition.
“My ultimate goal is to make District Court in our county the best … in the state,” he said.
Under his leadership, the court established an online platform where victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or harassment can file for a protection order from home. He also initiated a policy enabling the victim and the accused in these cases to wait in separate rooms for a hearing to begin.
“To make an environment that doesn’t increase the trauma is important,” he said, adding that he also started providing protection order petitioners security escorts back to their vehicles.
During Short’s tenure, the District Court started an online intervention program for abusive partners before COVID-19, when remote meetings were less common.
“It was innovative at the time,” Short said. “For folks that went through that program … their recidivism rates were much lower than those who didn’t successfully complete.”
Better engagement
Bangerter said he would focus more on the public’s needs if he defeats Short in the Nov. 3 election.
“I think after 13 years, we are looking at a new aspect of how we are going to be practicing on the bench,” said Bangerter, who moved to Okanogan County five years ago and took a job in the Prosecutor’s Office.
In an interview, Bangerter said he came to Okanogan County from Tacoma due to rising crime rates in that city.
“I’ve seen the trends of the judiciary in our county, and I’m concerned we are moving in similar directions of what I left on the west side,” Bangerter told attendees at a Sept. 30 candidate forum in Omak. “I want our families to feel strong here. I want public safety to be strong here.”
“Due process, as well as victims’ rights, are very important to me,” he added.
In the interview, Bangerter added that District Court may not be responsive enough to court stakeholders. He gave as an example an Omak-based social service organization called the Foundation for Youth Resiliency & Engagement (FYRE).
“At a minimum, it’s a perception issue,” he said. “A lot of the response I got from people who voiced support [for my campaign] was the lack of response when they have to engage the District Court.”
“I think it’s important that that we at least combat that perception, that there’s not enough engagement with the community,” he added. “Oftentimes it’s looking at procedures because I believe that there’s wonderful people working in the District Court.”
