And he was a Republican! A rare beast in Seattle.
Bill's boss, Norm Maleng, was truly a giant of a man. Here's a little bit about him and his sudden death on May 24, 2007:
King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng died Thursday night of a heart attack after collapsing at the University of Washington.
Maleng, 68, was attending an event at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture when he collapsed.
He was rushed to the hospital after paramedics were called to the university about 7:20 p.m. While doctors tried to revive him, a number of Seattle and King County officials, including Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, Sheriff Sue Rahr and County Executive Ron Sims, arrived at the hospital.
Family members and personal friends also gathered at the hospital in tears, and a statement was issued just after 10:30 p.m., confirming Maleng's death.
He was pronounced dead at 9:11 p.m., a hospital statement said. "He arrived to Harborview's Emergency Department in full cardiac arrest. He underwent nearly one hour of ongoing CPR and resuscitative efforts," the statement said.
Just before 11 p.m., the Maleng family issued this statement: "Norm Maleng was a loving husband and father, a man who led with integrity and a deep sense of justice. He was a giant of a man."
He had been attending a Nordic Heritage Museum event at the time he collapsed.
Maleng was elected prosecutor in 1978, having risen through the ranks after starting as a deputy prosecuting attorney. He had led the department since, building it into a department with more than 240 deputy prosecutors.
Prominent Seattle defense attorney John Wolfe called Maleng a unique man who "enhanced justice in King County."
"He made his decisions not only with his head, but with his heart," Wolfe said. "Each of his decisions reflected not only his character, but his courage."
King County Council chairman Larry Gossett, who was at the hospital when news of Maleng's death was confirmed, praised Maleng as "the consummate servant of the public" with an enduring passion for the people's business.
"The legacy and shoes of Norm Maleng will never be filled, and his legacy will last forever," Gossett said.
Gossett said Maleng's family members told him the prosecutor had been in good health. His death, Gossett said, came as a complete shock.
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels extended condolences to Maleng's wife and son, calling the prosecutor's death "a great loss."
"Norm was unquestionably one of the finest public servants in our state's history," Nickels said in a statement. "His commitment to justice with humanity is unmatched."
Raised on a Whatcom County dairy farm, Maleng graduated from the University of Washington in 1960 with a degree in economics, according to his official biography. He earned a law degree from the UW in 1966.
After graduating, Maleng was selected to serve as staff attorney for the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, chaired by Sen. Warren Magnuson.
In the late 1980s, Maleng led a state task force that designed Washington's sex offender notification system.
Maleng and his wife, Judy, have long lived in Magnolia. Their son, Mark, is a graduate of Washington State University, and works in the seafood industry.
Tragedy struck the Maleng family in 1989, when their 12-year-old daughter, Karen, was killed in a sledding accident.
After 29 years at the department's helm, Maleng oversaw the prosecution of some of the most notorious crimes in Washington history.
He directed the prosecution following the 1983 Wah Mee gambling club massacre, the state's worst mass shooting, in which 13 people were killed.
Two years later, Maleng handled the case against David Lewis Rice, the man who killed prominent Seattle attorney Charles Goldmark, his wife and two children on Christmas Eve.
Maleng asked juries to impose the death penalty in roughly a quarter of the county's aggravated murder cases since 1981, but has sought it much less frequently recently. But it was a case in which he didn't seek the death penalty -- that of Green River Killer Gary Ridgway -- that drew both praise and criticism.
Maleng defended his decision to spare Ridgway's life in exchange for a full confession.
"The mercy provided by today's resolution is directed not at Ridgway, but toward the families who have suffered so much, and to the larger community," Maleng said in 2006. "The justice we could achieve was to uncover the truth."
Attorney Todd Gruenhagen, one of Ridgway's attorneys, lauded Maleng for his controversial decision to spare the serial killer's life in exchange for information about the 48 women he'd killed.
"He took an extraordinarily difficult position, and he handled it courageously -- with class and sensitivity," Gruenhagen said. "I think the community recognized that."
Maleng made several unsuccessful runs at other offices. In 1988, he was upset by Rep. Bob Williams, R-Longview, in the Republican primary for governor; in 1992, he was defeated by Democrat Chris Gregoire in the race for state attorney general.
Reached at home Thursday night, former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, a longtime political ally, said he was stunned by the news: "He was a very good friend. I am shocked."
In a recent case with highly charged political consequences, Maleng was drawn into the flap about the King County election department's handling of the 2004 gubernatorial race, which was narrowly won by Democrat Gregoire after two recounts and an unsuccessful court challenge by Maleng's Republican Party.
Republicans maintain a slipshod elections department allows ineligible voters to cast ballots willy-nilly and that illegal votes in King County cost Republican Dino Rossi a victory over Gregoire.
Maleng drew the ire of some in his party for not aggressively pursuing an investigation into the election problems in King County. Maleng urged both sides to tone down the rhetoric. "I hope we can remove the partisan bickering from this debate and see that it is not a Republican or Democrat issue," he said.
As chief of the office's civil division, Maleng negotiated the lease between the Seattle Seahawks football team and the county. Twenty years later, he helped keep football in Seattle by pushing then-Seahawks owner Ken Behring to abandon plans to move the team to California.
Maleng created a special unit in the prosecutor's office to deal with child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence. The idea has since been copied by many other prosecutors around the nation.
He played a key role in much of the major crime legislation in the 1980s. Maleng helped craft the state's law targeting sexual predators, and played important roles in the sentencing reform act, a major anti-drug bill and a measure dealing with runaway youths.
State Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz called Maleng "an exceptional public servant" who "represented the people of King County with honor."
"People all across King County will feel his loss," Pelz said.
King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng died Thursday night of a heart attack after collapsing at the University of Washington.
Maleng, 68, was attending an event at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture when he collapsed.
He was rushed to the hospital after paramedics were called to the university about 7:20 p.m. While doctors tried to revive him, a number of Seattle and King County officials, including Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, Sheriff Sue Rahr and County Executive Ron Sims, arrived at the hospital.
Family members and personal friends also gathered at the hospital in tears, and a statement was issued just after 10:30 p.m., confirming Maleng's death.
He was pronounced dead at 9:11 p.m., a hospital statement said. "He arrived to Harborview's Emergency Department in full cardiac arrest. He underwent nearly one hour of ongoing CPR and resuscitative efforts," the statement said.
Just before 11 p.m., the Maleng family issued this statement: "Norm Maleng was a loving husband and father, a man who led with integrity and a deep sense of justice. He was a giant of a man."
He had been attending a Nordic Heritage Museum event at the time he collapsed.
Maleng was elected prosecutor in 1978, having risen through the ranks after starting as a deputy prosecuting attorney. He had led the department since, building it into a department with more than 240 deputy prosecutors.
Prominent Seattle defense attorney John Wolfe called Maleng a unique man who "enhanced justice in King County."
"He made his decisions not only with his head, but with his heart," Wolfe said. "Each of his decisions reflected not only his character, but his courage."
King County Council chairman Larry Gossett, who was at the hospital when news of Maleng's death was confirmed, praised Maleng as "the consummate servant of the public" with an enduring passion for the people's business.
"The legacy and shoes of Norm Maleng will never be filled, and his legacy will last forever," Gossett said.
Gossett said Maleng's family members told him the prosecutor had been in good health. His death, Gossett said, came as a complete shock.
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels extended condolences to Maleng's wife and son, calling the prosecutor's death "a great loss."
"Norm was unquestionably one of the finest public servants in our state's history," Nickels said in a statement. "His commitment to justice with humanity is unmatched."
Raised on a Whatcom County dairy farm, Maleng graduated from the University of Washington in 1960 with a degree in economics, according to his official biography. He earned a law degree from the UW in 1966.
After graduating, Maleng was selected to serve as staff attorney for the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, chaired by Sen. Warren Magnuson.
In the late 1980s, Maleng led a state task force that designed Washington's sex offender notification system.
Maleng and his wife, Judy, have long lived in Magnolia. Their son, Mark, is a graduate of Washington State University, and works in the seafood industry.
Tragedy struck the Maleng family in 1989, when their 12-year-old daughter, Karen, was killed in a sledding accident.
After 29 years at the department's helm, Maleng oversaw the prosecution of some of the most notorious crimes in Washington history.
He directed the prosecution following the 1983 Wah Mee gambling club massacre, the state's worst mass shooting, in which 13 people were killed.
Two years later, Maleng handled the case against David Lewis Rice, the man who killed prominent Seattle attorney Charles Goldmark, his wife and two children on Christmas Eve.
Maleng asked juries to impose the death penalty in roughly a quarter of the county's aggravated murder cases since 1981, but has sought it much less frequently recently. But it was a case in which he didn't seek the death penalty -- that of Green River Killer Gary Ridgway -- that drew both praise and criticism.
Maleng defended his decision to spare Ridgway's life in exchange for a full confession.
"The mercy provided by today's resolution is directed not at Ridgway, but toward the families who have suffered so much, and to the larger community," Maleng said in 2006. "The justice we could achieve was to uncover the truth."
Attorney Todd Gruenhagen, one of Ridgway's attorneys, lauded Maleng for his controversial decision to spare the serial killer's life in exchange for information about the 48 women he'd killed.
"He took an extraordinarily difficult position, and he handled it courageously -- with class and sensitivity," Gruenhagen said. "I think the community recognized that."
Maleng made several unsuccessful runs at other offices. In 1988, he was upset by Rep. Bob Williams, R-Longview, in the Republican primary for governor; in 1992, he was defeated by Democrat Chris Gregoire in the race for state attorney general.
Reached at home Thursday night, former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, a longtime political ally, said he was stunned by the news: "He was a very good friend. I am shocked."
In a recent case with highly charged political consequences, Maleng was drawn into the flap about the King County election department's handling of the 2004 gubernatorial race, which was narrowly won by Democrat Gregoire after two recounts and an unsuccessful court challenge by Maleng's Republican Party.
Republicans maintain a slipshod elections department allows ineligible voters to cast ballots willy-nilly and that illegal votes in King County cost Republican Dino Rossi a victory over Gregoire.
Maleng drew the ire of some in his party for not aggressively pursuing an investigation into the election problems in King County. Maleng urged both sides to tone down the rhetoric. "I hope we can remove the partisan bickering from this debate and see that it is not a Republican or Democrat issue," he said.
As chief of the office's civil division, Maleng negotiated the lease between the Seattle Seahawks football team and the county. Twenty years later, he helped keep football in Seattle by pushing then-Seahawks owner Ken Behring to abandon plans to move the team to California.
Maleng created a special unit in the prosecutor's office to deal with child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence. The idea has since been copied by many other prosecutors around the nation.
He played a key role in much of the major crime legislation in the 1980s. Maleng helped craft the state's law targeting sexual predators, and played important roles in the sentencing reform act, a major anti-drug bill and a measure dealing with runaway youths.
State Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz called Maleng "an exceptional public servant" who "represented the people of King County with honor."
"People all across King County will feel his loss," Pelz said.
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