The people of King County are fortunate to have Matt Williams on the ballot for King County District Court, Position 6.

I practiced law with Matt in the Iowa Attorney General’s office more than 27 years ago, and have since observed his career with interest. The qualities that made him an outstanding attorney then make him a superb candidate for District Court judge now.

Fairness is an essential quality in a judge, and one that Matt has demonstrated throughout his career. While Matt was a strong advocate for the people of the State of Iowa, he never made specious or unfounded arguments that would reflect poorly on the integrity of the profession. Matt has a keen analytical mind, but he never lost sight of the fact that every case involves real people with real problems needing real solutions. Moreover, throughout his career, Matt has been able to successfully combine his respect for the rule of law with a dose of common sense.

Consistent with his practice as an attorney, Matt will treat the parties, court staff and attorneys in his court with respect. He will listen to all sides of the issues, and his rulings will be legally sound, easily understandable, and reflect a common-sense approach. As a pro tem judge, Matt has demonstrated that he has the absolute integrity required of a judge – the same integrity I observed in his practice of law. The judicial rating organizations clearly agree – four have given him their top judicial rating.

I have known Matt for almost three decades as an unassuming person of intelligence, integrity, humor and compassion. Hopefully, the folks in King County will soon have this exceptional person as their District Court judge.

– Sarah J. Coats