Charles Z. Smith
Charles Z. Smith was born in Lakeland,
Florida on February 23, 1927. His father was Cuban and his mother
was African American. He has been married since 1955 to Eleanor Jane
Martinez. They are the parents of four adult children: three sons
and one daughter. They have six grandchildren (ages two to twenty).
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Temple University (1952)
and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington School
of Law (1955). He is a graduate of the Naval Justice School,
Newport, Rhode Island (1973). He retired November 1986 from the
United States Marine Corps Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel.
On December 31, 2002 he retired as a Justice of the Washington State
Supreme Court, having been initially appointed to that position by
Governor Booth Gardner on July 13, 1988 to fill an unexpired term.
He was elected unopposed on November 8, 1988 for the remainder of
that term. On November 6, 1990 he was elected unopposed to a full
term of six years and in 1996 elected unopposed to another term of
six years.
He is Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Washington
School of Law, having retired from full-time teaching as a tenured
full Professor in 1983. He was Associate Dean of the School of Law
(1973-1978).
From 1982 to 1988 he was a principal in the law firm of Theodore M.
Rosenblume, Charles Z. Smith and Associates in Seattle. He was a
news commentator for KOMO Radio and KOMO Television (1973-1979).
In 1973 he completed service as a judge of the Superior Court of
Washington for King County, having been appointed to that position
by Governor Daniel J. Evans in November 1966. He was elected
unopposed to a full term in November 1968. He served as Judge of the
Municipal Court of Seattle under appointment by Mayor J. D. Braman
to fill an unexpired term, beginning January 1965. He was elected
unopposed to a full term on that court, but resigned to accept
appointment to the Superior Court.
Upon his graduation from law school in 1955, he served as Law Clerk
for Justice Matthew W. Hill, Washington State Supreme Court, for one
year. He served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for King County
from 1956 to 1960. In March of 1961 he joined the United States
Department of Justice in Washington, D. C. at the request of
Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, where he served until his
resignation as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General of the
United States in September 1964.
He has been active in civic, religious and legal activities relating
to human rights, children and families, and criminal justice. He has
received numerous awards from institutions and organizations in
recognition of his public service.
Updated February 5, 2007
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