City v Sonics Preview: Hon. Marsha Pechman

Judge Marsha Pechman will preside over the City of Seattle v. Sonics trial, scheduled to begin Monday. Since the fate of our beloved pro basketball team rests in her hands, Seattlest wanted to take a closer look at the person standing at center court.

A former law faculty member at both UW and Seattle U, Judge Pechman has been described as an energetic and hard-working jurist who rose fast in the legal community. Bob Duggan, a mentor early in her career, recalled when she spoke to a group of longshoremen:

One of (my) fondest memories involved the then-29-year-old preacher's kid using "bad language" to shock and awe the entire membership of ILWU Local 24 Aberdeen by explaining that a hostile work environment is created by using the "c" word, but not the "p" word.

Closet Blazer fan? She was born in Salem OR.

West Coast bias? Not so fast. She's East Coast-educated, with a BA from Cornell and studied law at Boston University.

Dislikes spam? Apparently so. She presided over the smack-down of two of the country's most notorious spammers. She sentenced a Blaster virus author to 18 months in jail in 2005 and the "spam king of Seattle" faces up to 26 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in Judge Pechman's court earlier this year. (THAT sentencing is scheduled for June 20, but likely will be postponed due to the City v Sonics case.)

photo courtesy of Seattlest Flickr user gaijinrunner