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Sleight sworn in as Clark County District Court judge

By Jessica Prokop, Columbian Local News Editor
Published: March 15, 2017, 9:28pm
4 Photos
Presiding Clark County District Court Judge Kelli Osler, left, swears in Sleight.
Presiding Clark County District Court Judge Kelli Osler, left, swears in Sleight. (Ariane Kunze/The Columbian) Photo Gallery

Much like the mishaps at the 2015 Miss Universe pageant and 2017 Academy Awards, there was some bad news to share Wednesday afternoon during the swearing-in ceremony for newly appointed District Court Judge Chad Sleight.

“The person announcing the appointment was given the wrong envelope. I have the right envelope here,” Battle Ground Municipal Court Judge Roger Bennett told the crowd. “Mistakes must be remedied.”

He joked that the true appointee is an “elder gentleman,” before announcing it was in fact Superior Court Judge Gregory Gonzales. But due to age restrictions, Bennett said, the appointment falls to 39-year-old Sleight.

The spoof, one of many shared during Sleight’s ceremony, was met with boisterous laughter. Bennett also shared how Sleight actually secured the judge’s spot through a slam dunk contest that broke a four-way tie between the finalists — his height, first 6-foot-9 and then 6-foot-10, played an important role, he said.

But all jokes aside, Bennett said it was wonderful working with Sleight in Battle Ground, where Sleight was the municipal court prosecutor.

“Congratulations. You are going to have a great career,” Bennett told the new judge.

More than 100 people — lawyers, judges, clerks, friends, family members — crowded into a fourth-floor courtroom at the Clark County Courthouse to watch Sleight take the judge’s oath.

His mother, Eunice, helped him slip into his robe before he turned and gave her a big hug.

“For a kid from Camas whose dad, grandpa and great-grandpa worked at the mill, I can’t believe I’m standing here,” a tearful Sleight told the standing-room-only crowd.

Sleight gave an impassioned speech thanking all of the people throughout his life who have helped him achieve his dream of sitting on the bench.

Huge thanks, of course, went to his mother, who talked him out of quitting Willamette University College of Law twice. “Without you, I’d be nothing,” he said.

“I don’t look at becoming a District Court judge as my accomplishment, but as our accomplishment,” he told the audience. “I will strive to be the best judge I can be.”

The Clark County council last month appointed Sleight to replace District Court Judge James Swanger, who retired after 16 years on the bench. Sleight was one of four candidates the council interviewed for the office. The other finalists were Bennett, District Court Commissioner Kristen Parcher and Assistant Vancouver City Attorney Brent Boger.

Sleight, who lives in Camas and is a lifelong Clark County resident, previously served as a pro tem judge in District Court. A pro tem judge fills in when the sitting judge is unavailable. He also ran his own criminal defense practice and prosecuted misdemeanor cases in the cities of Battle Ground, Ridgefield and La Center.

During the ceremony, his friend and former law partner, Andrew Wheeler, shared how the two first met on a high school basketball court. They reconnected in District Court.

“I said, ‘Hey, do you know what you’re doing?’ And he said, ‘No,’ ” Wheeler recalled. ” ‘Neither do I.’ ”

Wheeler said there will probably be times when Sleight makes a mistake as he learns his new role but said mistakes are part of growing and learning.

Both are big sports fans. In sticking with their tradition of “calling” games, or predicting the winner, Wheeler had one last message for Sleight.

“Judge, I’m calling this game for you. Congratulations.”

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