Longtime Thurston County Superior Court Judge Murphy retires, Wood named as replacement

Kelly Wood

Courtesy of The Office of the Governor

A new judge is going to take a seat on Thurston County Superior Court in mid-July.

Kelly Wood was appointed by Gov. Bob Ferguson earlier this month. Wood is replacing Judge Carol Murphy, the most senior judge on the court, who retired effective July 1 after 34 years of public service, including 17 years on Thurston County Superior Court.

“I am humbled and honored by this appointment,” said Wood in a statement released by Gov. Ferguson's office. “The Thurston County bench has a long tradition of integrity and rigorous legal analysis, and I am committed to carrying both forward.”

Wood previously served for nearly two decades as a Senior Counsel and managing Assistant Attorney General for the state of Washington.

"In this capacity, Judge-appointee Wood’s practice focused on complex litigation representing Washington at all levels of both state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court and multiple unanimous victories in the Washington Supreme Court," said Thurston County in an announcement about the appointment on July 1.

"This also involved managing a team of attorneys representing the state in the areas of climate change, air quality, nuclear waste, and energy facility siting. Judge-appointee Wood is also recognized nationwide for his leadership in Clean Water Act litigation and policy and helped pioneer Washington’s use of consumer protections to keep harmful metals out of children’s products." 

Wood has resided in Olympia since relocating from Seattle in 2008, raising two boys in the community. He served for years on the executive committee of the bar association’s Environmental and Land Use Law Section, including as chair, and volunteered for the Housing Justice Project as an attorney.

 "An avid mountain biker for over 30 years, Judge-appointee Wood served on the board of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and was President of the Friends of Capitol Forest, a group dedicated to enhancing safety and recreational opportunities for cyclists and other trail users in the South Sound region," said the county in the announcement.

"Judge-appointee Wood remains active in trail maintenance efforts throughout Washington and designed and led construction efforts for the 'Level Up' trail in Capitol Forest to provide a friendly trail option for kids and beginners to progress their biking and hiking skills on."

Wood graduated Summa Cum Laude from Seattle University School of Law in 2007 and holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with honors, from the University of North Texas. 

Murphy, who was first elected to her position in 2008,  served as Presiding Judge of Thurston County Superior Court from 2014 to 2017, and served previous rotations as Trial Judge, DUI/Drug Court Judge and Criminal Presiding Judge.