Clark County Superior Court Judge Roger Bennett said Tuesday he has submitted a letter of resignation to Gov. Chris Gregoire.
Bennett, 61, has been a judge since 1990.
Before taking office, he was the county’s chief criminal deputy prosecutor.
“With mixed emotions, I have decided to retire from the bench, leaving a vacancy as of Sept. 1, 2011, in order to embark upon a new career as a practicing attorney,” Bennett wrote in his May 6 letter to Gregoire.
Gregoire will appoint a replacement for Bennett, whose term does not expire until 2012.
Bennett’s the second-longest serving judge on the 10-member Superior Court bench behind Barbara Johnson, who took office in 1987.
Asked what type of law he plans to practice, Bennett was blunt: “I’m going to do whatever I feel like.”