Defining Justice: Norm Maleng
Prosecutors get credit if they're tough. We applaud them if they "throw the book" at criminals. But King County prosecutor Norm Maleng approached the job with much more nuance...
His chief of staff Dan Satterberg, describes Maleng as a bit of a paradox. Maleng was a creature of habit. He had approved routes to get from point A to point B. He liked the same thing for lunch. His office was amazingly clean--not a piece of paper out of order.
And yet professionally, Maleng could be an agent for change. The most-often cited example of this was his philosophy on drug sentences. In the 80s, he backed stiff sentences in the war on drugs. But in 2001, he went to the legislature, proposing that some sentences be cut in half. The money saved on building new prisons, would be better spent on treatment and drug courts, Maleng argued. He told lawmakers, there must be opportunity for redemption.
His conservative application of the death penalty also reflected the evolution of his philosophies. Maleng had said publicly he would never bargain with the death penalty in the case of the Green River killer. But when defense attorneys proposed that Gary Ridgway would offer information on his victims in exchange for being spared from death row, Maleng considered--and eventually agreed to negotiate.
Maleng leaves a prosecutor's office that is widely viewed as non-partisan, even though he ran as a Republican. His personal and professional life experiences prepared him for the tough calls prosecutors face.
Do share your thoughts on Maleng's legacy.
Comments
In 1984, after a mastectomy and chemo, I found out that my ex husband had been molesting my daughter's best friend for years before I divorced him for his alcoholism and physical abuse. She had been a 4.0 student and was found in the corner of her classroom pulling her hair out in clumps. She became suicidal and a prostitute to make men "pay" for what my ex did to her. Her parents took her to Mr. Maleng to see about bringing charges against my ex. Mr. Maleng was very gentle with her as he helped her explore her options. She was too fragile to bring charges at that time. Mr. Maleng's validation and absolvment of her role and our roles in this meant a great deal to her and to us. Not much was known about the dynamics of sexual abuse at that time. I worked with her parents to help her stabilize and went to family court to deny visitation to my ex with our daughters. We were in court for five years, but I was eventually successful. It was a very tough time. I am very grateful to Mr. Maleng for his sensitivity and compassion. I hope his successor will have his qualities. My deep condolences to his family.
Posted by: Susan Jensen | June 3, 2007 10:08 AM
I have much respect for Norm Maleng both as a prosecutor and as a man. Many years ago my mother was murdered in a Ballard neighborhood. The three kids responsible for this had no respect, compassion, or remorse for their actions. This was an extremely difficult time for me as I sat through the preliminary hearings and subsequent trials and sentencings - to listen and hear the lack of respect for my mother who had shown them nothing but compassion was so beyond anything I could believe. However, even though Norm Maleng did not prosecute the cases he always took the time to ensure that I was OK - the compassion was evident in not only his words but his actions.
You wonder if someone who gives so much of their life to public service has the time and energy left to be a husband and a father. However, having the opportunity to work with Mark I know the answer to this is that YES he definitely did - the love and admiration Mark has for his family is enormous. This to me shows the committment he must have had for his family.
The city has lost a respected member of our community, but his legacy will be remembered by many for years to come.
Posted by: Elaine Burt | June 3, 2007 8:39 PM
I have much respect for Norm Maleng both as a prosecutor and as a man. Many years ago my mother was murdered in a Ballard neighborhood. The three kids responsible for this had no respect, compassion, or remorse for their actions. This was an extremely difficult time for me as I sat through the preliminary hearings and subsequent trials and sentencings - to listen and hear the lack of respect for my mother who had shown them nothing but compassion was so beyond anything I could believe. However, even though Norm Maleng did not prosecute the cases he always took the time to ensure that I was OK - the compassion was evident in not only his words but his actions.
You wonder if someone who gives so much of their life to public service has the time and energy left to be a husband and a father. However, having the opportunity to work with Mark I know the answer to this is that YES he definitely did - the love and admiration Mark has for his family is enormous. This to me shows the committment he must have had for his family.
The city has lost a respected member of our community, but his legacy will be remembered by many for years to come.
Posted by: Elaine Burt | June 3, 2007 8:39 PM
Although I did not know Norm on a personal level, I know members of his staff and each one of them had nothing but good things to say about him. It's not often "the boss" takes time to spend with his staff even outside of the office. The next permanment Prosecutor has some big shoes to fill.
Posted by: Mark Holthaus | June 3, 2007 11:03 PM