Superior Court Mourns the Passing of Former Judges
Judge Susan J. Craighead passed away late last month. Appointed to the King County Superior Court in 2007 by Governor Christine Gregoire, Judge Craighead served as Presiding Judge during the completion of the Clark Children and Family and Justice Center and was a leader in efforts to eliminate racial disparities in the juvenile system. She retired in 2021.
“Judge Craighead was a good friend to many and a leader on our Court,” Judge Jim Rogers said. “She tirelessly worked her cases, spent many hours on the creation of the CCFCJ, and presided over trials despite incredible health challenges. I often told her that she was the toughest person that I have ever met.”
Judge Craighead served as a commissioner for the Washington state Court of Appeals for five years before her appointment to Superior Court. Prior to that, she was a staff attorney for the Seattle-King County Public Defender Association.
Judge Craighead also served as the law clerk for Justice Shirley Abrahamson at the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, worked as a reporter for the Louisville Courier Journal and the Washington Post, and worked for the Federal Defenders of San Diego and the Alabama Capital Representation Resource Center.
She will be greatly missed by friends and family, including her son, Daniel.
Judge Terry Lukens, a King County Superior Court judge from 1999 to 2005, passed away this month. During his time on the bench Judge Lukens had a huge impact. He was Chief Judge of the Maleng Regional Justice Center, member of the Executive Committee, and chair of the Budget Committee. He had been a partner at the Karr Tuttle law firm, a Bellevue City Councilmember, and Mayor. After his judicial service, he joined JAMS, where he became a sought-after mediator and arbitrator in corporate and real estate cases and became an owner.
Many remember Judge Lukens for the kindness, patience, and unfailing professionalism he displayed both on and off the bench, regardless of the behavior of others.
Judge Lukens was a man of many interests, from coaching to winemaking to golf. He was a talented woodworker, restoring and making furniture, including a crib for his grandson. He and his wife, Ann, a retired Episcopalian priest, have three adult children. He was heavily involved in local organizations including the March of Dimes and his family’s church, and coached soccer.
Judge Lukens received many awards and honors for his years of civic and public service. The Lifetime Achievement Award he received in 2023 from the Eastside Legal Assistance Program (ELAP) was but one of them.
Judge David W. Soukup passed away last month. He was appointed to the King County Superior Court bench by Gov. Dan Evans in 1969. At the time, he was youngest superior court judge in state history.
Concerned that he was making decisions about abused and neglected children’s lives without sufficient information, Judge Soukup came up with the idea for volunteers to speak for the best interests of children in court.
“While sitting at juvenile court, I never got a night’s sleep without waking to wonder if at least one decision I made that day had been the best for a child,” he said. “It struck me that it might be possible to recruit and train volunteers to investigate a child’s case so they could provide a voice for the child in those proceedings, proceedings which could affect their whole lives.”
In 1977, he created Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA. Today more than 100,000 volunteer CASAs serve nearly a quarter of a million children a year in 49 states and the District of Columbia, according to the national CASA/GAL organization.
After retiring from the bench, Judge Soukup became a CASA volunteer, which he called “an extraordinary experience. Both the hardest — and the best — thing I’ve ever done.”
You can read the full Seattle Times obituary for Judge Soukup here.
