Tom Chambers
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Tom Chambers is an associate justice on the Washington Supreme Court. He was first elected in 2000 and then subsequently re-elected in 2006; his current term expires in 2012. Justice Chambers is considered more liberal in his rulings; in 2006, he was endorsed by the Northwest Progressive Institute.[1]
Legal education
Chambers attended Yakima Valley Community College, Washington State University, and the University of Washington School of Law. He received his J.D. in 1969.
Legal experience
Justice Tom Chambers was in private practice for 30 years prior to his election to the Washington Supreme Court.[2]
Judicial philosophy
"My parents taught me that solutions to problems should be grounded in common sense. Justice requires openness. My job is to protect your rights. I believe in open government. The brilliance of our constitution is in its checks and balances. The people are the ultimate check on government. Government must be conducted openly and its records must be available for inspection.”[3]
Awards and associations
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2006 election
In 2006, Chambers raised $341,625. Chambers himself was the top contributor with $114,992, or 33.66% of the total.[5]
Property tax limit
In a five to four ruling, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that voters did not understand what they were voting for when they approved Initiative 747, and that it was unconstitutional. The majority ruled "A voter reading the text of the initiative could believe that he or she was voting to reduce the property tax limit by 1 percent instead of by 5 percent, a substantially different impact on the public coffers, as well as the perceived benefit to the individual voter's purse." Justice Charles Johnson wrote for the dissent, and was joined by Chief Justice Gerry Alexander and Justices Tom Chambers and Richard Sanders. He wrote, "The majority seems to suggest that the voters are unable to think or read for themselves, when in fact our democratic process is based on the assumption that voters do in fact read and understand the impact of their votes."[6]
MDs selling medication
In October 2006, Chambers wrote the majority opinion for the court which upheld the right of medical doctors in the state to sell medication. Physicians said the state Supreme Court ruling rejecting a unique interpretation of anti-kickback law in a "fen-phen" diet drug case will preserve access to a number of products for patients. But lawyers in the case say doctors could see more lawsuits trying to use state anti-kickback laws against them. The Washington high court found that the 1949 Washington anti-kickback statute was meant to forbid illegal referrals or "unearned" profits from a third party, but not to prevent doctors from making money off the goods that they provide directly to patients, whether medications or medical equipment. Criminalizing such sales would "lead to absurd consequences," including making patients criminally liable for buying drugs from doctors if the physicians profited from it.[7]
External links
- Tom Chambers: Official biography on supreme court website
- Tom Chambers Campaign website
- Tom Chambers: Opinions and Writings
- Washington Courts: Tom Chambers
- Follow the Money: Tom Chambers 2006
- The Washington Supreme Court blog, an unofficial blog that covers the Washington State Supreme Court and its justices
References
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The Washington Project on Judgepedia
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