Palubicki reflects on career path

RITZVILLE – K. Peter Palubicki was happy with his job as Adams County chief deputy prosecuting attorney, a position he'd held since 2017.

But on his wife's birthday last year, the 40-year-old learned that Superior Court Judge Steve Dixon was planning to retire.

"Only four people applied for the position," Palubicki said. "So, I had pretty good odds."

The process moved quickly.

On Thursday, Dec. 14, Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Palubicki to the bench and he took the oath of office Dec. 29.

"My family razzed me when they learned I'd gotten the appointment," he said. "They said, 'Your wig is in the mail.'"

According to Palubicki, the swearing-in ceremony was like getting married - nerve wracking and surreal.

"Suddenly, the spotlight is on you," he said. "I was so nervous I forgot that the next step was getting robed by my wife. Judge Radzimski said the oath so fast it was a struggle to keep up."

He was honored to have his parents and brother attend the ceremony.

"I sent my parents and brother the press release about the appointment, but my brother Konrad who works in the tech industry in Seattle surprised me when he showed up," he said.

On Jan. 1, Palubicki began his duties as Superior Court Judge for Adams County.

Early life

Judge Palubicki has come a long way since his birth in southern Poland.

"My parents didn't want to live in a communist country, so they came to America when I was 4 years old," he said.

His father emigrated first, then saved enough money to bring Palubicki, his mother and sister to Sumner, a city in Pierce County.

His father worked as a cabinetmaker; his mother was employed by various businesses, including a nursing home and an orchard.

When Scott Paper Co. in Everett offered his mother a job, the family - including his older sister and younger brother - moved north. Palubicki attended public school in Everett and later enrolled at University of Washington, where he majored in history with a specialization in Slavic languages and literature.

Why law?

"My older sister inspired me," he said. "She was accepted into Gonzaga law school, but ended up switching gears and becoming a teacher. Her experience 'put the bug in my ear' about a legal career."

Palubicki said he wanted to work in a profession where he could help people.

"I originally wanted to become a doctor, but I'm not very good at science," he said. So, he studied history as an undergraduate and segued into law.

When Palubicki began classes at University of Washington Law School, he intended to pursue property law. But a class on criminal procedure changed everything.

"I hadn't considered what life would be like if we didn't have the Constitution," he said. "I found myself rooting for the state in almost every case."

So he became a prosecuting attorney.

Legal career

He started out in Snohomish County as a municipal court prosecutor, then took a job at Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands, where he worked as a deputy prosecutor. When he met his wife, a professional chef living in Seattle, Palubicki switched jobs and became an infraction supervisor in the big city.

But soon the couple grew tired of the metropolis.

"After the birth of our first daughter, we decided we didn't want to live in Seattle anymore," he said. His in-laws lived in Spokane, where his wife was raised, so they started considering the east side of the state.

"Until we started dating, I knew little about Eastern Washington," he said. "But I liked the idea of four distinct seasons and enjoyed the friendliness of the people. Over here you can go hiking and people will greet you."

He observed that folks on the other side of the state tend to exhibit a "don't-talk-to-me" attitude.

Stop in Colville

When contemplating a move to this side of the state, Palubicki researched jobs online.

"I found a prosecutor named Lech Radzimski, who worked in the Colville office," he said. "I thought, huh, what are the chances this guy is Polish?"

One day on a trip to Spokane, Palubicki met Radzimski for dinner. That meeting was fortuitous.

In 2015, a position became available at the Steven's County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and Radzimski called.

"I don't know how else I would have made it over here," Palubicki said. "I had no professional connections with anyone on this side of the state."

In April 2016, Palubicki moved his family to Spokane, bought a house and was hired to work in the Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in Colville.

He started out in Stevens County District Court, prosecuting DUIs and lower-level assaults. He later became a felony prosecutor in that office.

Palubicki commuted daily from Spokane to Colville.

"I used to dodge deer and semi-trucks driving along U.S. 395 in Stevens County," he said. "Every day in the summer, I'd see a dead deer on the road."

Still, his commute paled compared to Seattle.

"When I worked in downtown Seattle, I ran home to Fremont," he said. "For the first 45 minutes, I was faster than the bus."

In June 2017, a chief deputy prosecuting attorney job became available here; Adams County Prosecuting Attorney Randy Flyckt offered Palubicki the position.

"My prior chief deputy prosecutor, Carolyn Benzel, was appointed District Court judge," Flyckt recalled. "I had hired some newer people, but needed a chief deputy with several years of felony experience.

This office ran very well under Peter's leadership. I'm glad the governor's office didn't do much of a political exam on him because, in terms of our philosophy, he and I are very much in agreement."

"Randy and I hit it off right away," Palubicki said. "For one thing, we both share a love of history. We were both history majors in college. For fun he would try to stump me with random history quizzes."

For the next six-plus years in the Adams County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Palubicki prosecuted serious felony charges - murders, rapes, crimes against children.

"It was the best job I ever had," he said.

Palubicki said he appreciates the benefits of working in a smaller county.

"You have fewer cases, so you can do a much better job with your cases, either as prosecutor or judge," he said. "Here, if you get a 100-page pleading you actually have the time to read it."

He also appreciates the positive relationship between law enforcement and the judicial system here.

"I've worked in places where subpoenas would be issued to law enforcement personnel and they wouldn't even respond," he said. "Police had a frayed relationship with the prosecutor's office.

"In Adams County, it's been the opposite."

Law Day

"One of my favorite events is Law Day, which is usually held in May every year," Palubicki said. "We've held that event in both Ritzville and Othello since 2018."

For Law Day, county attorneys bring fifth-graders into court and stage a mock trial. The students play all the parts.

One student wears a robe and sits in the judge's chair. Others sit as prosecuting and defense attorneys. Students also take seats in the jury box.

"One of their fellow students is on trial for stealing a hat from a store," he said. "The jury must decide whether the defendant ran from the store to get money for the hat or stole the hat. We get both 'guilty' and 'not-guilty' verdicts in these cases."

According to Palubicki, the beauty of the program is this: fifth-graders come to court when no one is in trouble. They get to experience the court in a positive light.

"They also get to witness a police demonstration with a canine, which provides a friendly interaction with law enforcement, and they're introduced to their constitutional rights. I volunteered at Law Day when I worked in Snohomish County, and some of those fifth-graders are now lawyers practicing in that very court."

The future

Judge Palubicki has several priorities moving forward.

He would like to see the juvenile court moved to Othello.

"Most young people who end up in that court live in Othello," he said. "Holding court there would increase the chances that juveniles and parents would show up."

Other priorities include holding some court cases in Othello, so people aren't driving 50 miles one way for a 5-minute hearing; establishing security in both Superior and District courts; hiring or contracting with a family law facilitator; reestablishing a county law library; and updating local court rules.

"I'm looking at the long game," he said. "There are a lot of great ideas, and some will take years to implement. But there's no reason why Adams County can't be a model court.

"We have a low volume of cases, skilled attorneys, dedicated county employees and a respected juvenile department. I want to build on that foundation."