Judge Erik Rohrer was sworn in as a judge on January 31, 2001. He will leave the bench exactly 20 years later—on January 31, 2021.

Rohrer, 62, served 14 years as a district court judge and 6 years as a superior court judge. He is currently Clallam County’s senior elected official.

He and his wife, Cari, a retired teacher, have no immediate plans but intend to remain in Clallam County, where they have lived for the past 30 years.

Before his judicial career, Rohrer served as an assistant attorney general and as an attorney in private practice.

“I recently received a statement from social security reminding me that I’ve been steadily employed every year since the ‘70s. I’ve been blessed with a very satisfying and successful legal career and have achieved what I set out to do as an attorney and judge. The events of the past year helped me decide that this is the right time to prioritize other areas of my life,” said Rohrer.

Rohrer emphasized that he is especially proud of the “professional and personable” staff he has assembled at the district court in Forks and noted that he “couldn’t be leaving the court in more capable hands.”

Rohrer has been very active in the community over the years. He currently chairs the Peninsula College Board of Trustees and has been a college board member since 2008. He also serves on Clallam County’s Trails Advisory Committee and he—along with Cari—are trail adopters for a five-mile West End section of the Olympic Discovery Trail.

Past volunteer involvement includes serving as chair of the bipartisan Washington State Civil Legal Aid Oversight Committee, president of the Forks Chamber of Commerce, president of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, and as a board member of the Peninsula Trails Coalition.

While Rohrer, an avid hiker, cyclist, and sailor, is not divulging any specific plans for the future, he did mention that he is “looking forward to spending more time on trails than in trials” in the coming years.