Dear Editor,

I was born and raised on the Olympic Peninsula. Some of you might remember that my father, Bud Hanify, was the district ranger at the Hoh Rain Forest from 1971-1978. My mother, Mary Lou Hanify, was a writer who wrote books about Washington state history, plus a very popular guidebook to the Hoh Rain Forest. After graduating from Forks High School in 1975, I went on to become a lawyer. I’ve been a deputy prosecuting attorney, a judge pro tem, and a defense attorney, for 32 years. I have watched the criminal justice system grow increasingly stressed from the rise in mental illness and drug addiction. It is no longer the same system I practiced law in as a young lawyer.

It is no longer business as usual. We need people like John Black who understand the problems courts must now address.

This year the residents of Forks have a choice for who they want for District Court judge. I’ve known John Black for 12 years. He has personally seen and experienced the challenges in the criminal justice system that need to be addressed at this time. But what I like the most about John Black is that he is one of us. He is down to earth and willing to work hard on behalf of the citizens of Forks.

Vote for John Black, District Court II.

Bruce Hanify

Port Angeles