Tri-Cities court commissioner chosen newest Benton Franklin Superior Court judge
A Tri-Cities court commissioner is moving up to a position on the Benton Franklin Superior Court bench.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Diana Ruff this week to replace bicounty Superior Court Judge Alex Ekstrom.
Ekstrom is leaving later this month to begin a term as a federal magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Washington.
Ruff has been a commissioner with the court since August 2021. The court has seven judges and three commissioners.
Commissioners preside over family law, probate, guardianship and juvenile dockets. And Superior Court judges handle felony and gross misdemeanor crimes and civil cases.
The judges are elected for four-year terms, while the commissioners are employees who preside over certain areas to help with the court’s caseload.
Ekstrom was last re-elected in 2020. Ruff will have to run for the seat in the next eligible election if she wants to stay on the bench.
Because filing has closed for the 2022 election cycle, that means Ruff will need to run in the 2023 cycle to finish out the remainder of the term, which expires in 2024.
This isn’t the first time she has been considered for the court. Ruff was one of the candidates for a position on the court last year when Judge Jacqueline Stam was appointed to replace Judge Carrie Runge, who retired last summer.
And earlier this year, Norma Rodriguez was appointed to replace Judge Cameron Mitchell, who retired in March.
‘Breadth of experience’
Before becoming a court commissioner, Ruff was an administrative law judge, and before that was a top prosecutor with the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office.
She also served as a judge pro tem in Franklin County District Court and Pasco Municipal Court.
“Diana is an extremely talented attorney. She is smart, driven, and dedicated to serving her community,” said Inslee in the news release.
“And her breadth of experience is impressive. She has done civil litigation, criminal prosecution, and as a judicial officer she’s presided over administrative proceedings and now Superior Court dockets. She will be a great addition to the bench,” he said.
Ruff earned both her undergraduate and law degrees at Gonzaga University.
She also served in leadership on volunteer boards throughout the community, including the Benton County Park Board, the Benton Franklin Bar Association and others.
