About Judge Martinez

Judge Raul Martinez was appointed to the King County District Court in Shoreline by a unanimous vote of the King County Council in January 2023.  He was unopposed for election in November 2024 and will serve a term ending in January 2027.

Judge Martinez has been rated “Exceptionally Well Qualified” by six independent bar associations. He has 21 years of broad legal experience as both a litigator and an appellate lawyer.  He has represented crime victims, the King County government, corporations, and individuals.  His cases covered civil matters, criminal law, corporate law, land use, employment law, inquests, and insurance claims. He worked for 10 years with the King County Prosecutor’s Office, 6 years with a large well respected law firm and 5 years in his own private practice.

Judge Martinez has a very personal understanding of the impacts of poverty, discrimination, addiction, mental health issues, and domestic violence and how these challenges must be balanced with accountability and community safety. His father, a Viet Nam veteran, overcame PTSD and alcoholism. His mother is an immigrant who tirelessly served the most vulnerable in their community. For years, the Martinez family worked as farmworkers, often following the West Coast crops while living in migrant camps. Eventually, the family settled in Wenatchee, and Judge Martinez became the first in his family to graduate from high school, college, and law school.

Judge Martinez is active in his community. He has served on the Boards of the Northwest Justice Project, the state’s largest civil legal aid provider, and the Latina/o Bar Association. Judge Martinez has been a coach for youth basketball, baseball, and soccer in the Northshore area.