"The Robing Room: WA State Judges

Hon. Christine Schaller	See Rating Details
Judge Superior Court
Thurston County	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 5.0 - 14 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: 2.0 - 10 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

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Only items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating.

General Rating Criteria

* Temperament		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Scholarship		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Industriousness		(1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
* Ability to Handle Complex Litigation		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Punctuality		(1=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)
* General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
* General Ability as a Trial Judge		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
Flexibility In Scheduling		(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)

Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation		(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
General Inclination Regarding Bail		(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Plea Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation		(1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Involvement in Settlement Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)
General Inclination		(1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)

Comments

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What others have said about Hon. Christine Schaller

Comments

Other

Comment #: WA2339
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I wholeheartedly agree with the negative opinions voiced here of Judge Schaller. She ruled in favor of the abusive parent in our case--despite the mountain of evidence and professional reports raising serious concern about that parent--and did so with venom. If you're a decent parent divorcing an abusive spouse, do your kids a favor and ask for an honest, more compassionate, and reasonable judge. Schaller has made it dang obvious she neither has the proper psychological intelligence to nor is fit to preside over cases involving children.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: WA2335
Rating:1.0

Comments:
If you are an abuser, and have enough money to hire an attorney who agrees to turn you into Prince Charming, Judge Schaller will appreciate that! She loves the sport of watching criminals go free, sending children to live with the parent who is abusing them. She is not capable of rendering a fair decision. Completely biased and in my opinion this "judge" an embarrassment to the Thurston County Court! I believe it is all fun and games with her She seems to appreciate the antics of unethical attorneys defending rotten people. [Redacted by Ed.]

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: WA2253
Rating:2.0

Comments:
I have been involved in a past case where Ms. Schaller did not include / denied bail in a civil matter /contempt of court. The defendant had NO prior criminal record and this was a clear violation of the law! [redacted by ed.] She should never be in the position she is!

Other

Comment #: WA2098
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge is a disgrace to her profession. She is rude and unable to control her temper. Her ego is so out of control that she believes she is above the law. She made a statement in open court that it was her courtroom and she is the law. What this mentally challenged person needs to realize she works for the citizens, taxpayers and innocent children of WA state. This is not about her immature values or feelings. The law was written by far more intelligent people than her and it is her job to follow it. That courtroom she sits in and that robe she wears were paid for with taxpayer dollars.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: WA1911
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Schaller sees herself as the court's "enforcer". Which means she yells at anyone who dares try to do his job or suggests that anyone from the State is doing something wrong. She firmly believes that the prosecutor's office would never charge an innocent person and they all need to be punished. She does NOT know the law.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: WA1791
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I Challenge Judge Schaller to examine 20 of her past ruled cases from 2006 to current. See for herself how her rulings has hindered at the least. If you are human you would step down or retire. You have done more catastrophic damage, in the lives of children and familys in front of you. They had the right to fairness and a trusted person in your seat for justice. Unfortunately those people lives that had come in front you,and where ruled and directly affected by you have undoubtedly been tainted by your decision making. Now with time the facts are in, and not in your favor. How can you sleep at night? ..What kind of mother are you? Take a look at your some of your families today after some years. You are nothing to be proud of, that is a fact.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: WA1742
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She ruined my childrens lives . Planted the seed of depression and in my oldest son who soon after final ruling became interested in drugs and now fights addiction. She should be disbarred and without a job in say of anyones well being . she is horrible

Litigant

Comment #: WA1358
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Child Custody Trial
Judge Schaller decided the outcome of our case before the trial and did not sway from her preconceived notions despite the child's wishes and the GAL's report. Despite her experience and her role, she falls into a trap of Mother-Blaming and re-victimizing domestic violence victims. I will not re-hash my case here, but to say the outcome was a surprise even to my ex-husband, as the facts of the case, the GAL report, and what was in the child's best interest was apparent to everyone except Judge Schaller. I would not recommend this Judge to provide justice or a non-biased opinion based on facts.

Litigant

Comment #: WA1254
Rating:4.0

Comments:
Judge Schiller does not look at the facts of the case and allows her preconceived notions on topics to guide her rulings. This bias in the TCC has to stop. She is neither fair nor current with family issues as they pertain to studies on the well being of children with two parents that are completely capable and good solid parents. Her old fashioned personal view on parenting plans clouds her judgement and prohibits her from ruling fair and equitably.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: WA1090
Rating:9.9

Comments:
One talented judge! I hope she does not lose this as all of the others have.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: WA991
Rating:10.0

Comments:
She is the Gold Standard by which all judge's should be measured. There is nothing negative to say, except that her reading of the Relocation statute--which she professes to hate--is inexplicably way too permissive and
Indulgent towards any relocation, regardless of how ill-considered or whimsical!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: WA899
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Based upon some of the high ratings this judge received, I was hopeful that she was going to properly apply the law. Yeah...well, I was sooooo very wrong, so needless to say, I'm disappointed, but not surprised.

This judge totally disregarded the law; demonstrated bias; and flat-out ignored the evidence. I have been a trial lawyer for over 15 years in both state and federal courts and I can truthfully say not many judges surprise me when it comes to their findings, even when I believe they are wrong. This judge, however, left me flabbergasted with the reasoning behind her findings. Seriously, I had to pick up my jaw from the floor.

I tell you, after my experience with ONE case in Thurston County Family Court before Commissioners Thomas, Lack, and now, Judge Schaller, I am officially annointing this court as the Thurston County Kangaroo Court. I feel like I've entered another dimension with this court -- one where the rule of law, fairness, and (sadly) common-sense, does not matter.

Based on the foregoing, being a jurist in this court is a pretty good gig and I'm thinking of running for a spot in the next election...except that I live in Pierce County. Oh, right; even that doesn't matter in this court...

Civil Litigation - Govt.

Comment #: WA769
Rating:1.8

Comments:
The most disheartening aspect of this judge's demeanor is a lack of humility in addressing complex issues pertaining to matters with which she is unfamiliar. It is as though her priority is to present as confident and decisive, no matter what, with the result that she demeans those in front of her by suggesting the answer is easy and obvious and clear, and she will not be heard to say otherwise. As a government attorney tasked with litigating complex cases involving difficult matters of law, this is very discouraging.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: WA731
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Bought and paid for. Letting a 7 time DUI offender of with no jail time is disgraceful. Remove the title judge and replace with whore.

Other

Comment #: WA730
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Blatant disregard for the law, at the expense of the integrity of the courts and risk to the general public, allowing a repeat offender dangerous criminal to walk. 7 DUIs and a high speed chase is not safe nor legal to leave on the streets.

Other

Comment #: WA727
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge is bought off. No justice here.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: WA690
Rating:1.1

Comments:
She fails to understand the laws that she is charged with enforcing. Either ignorance, arrogance, incompetence, or a combination of all three qualities make her feel that she need not follow federal law. In my case, she says that she is not modifying the out-of-state custody order, and that she is just making a new order that supersedes the Hawaii order. When I show her that, under the UCCJEA, that is the exact definition of a modification, she says that's not her definition of a modification! So because she makes up different definitions than what the law clearly shows, she can ignore federal and state laws? When I try to register the Hawaii custody order in a separate case, she states that I cannot because she modified the Hawaii order, and when I file a motion in the first case that she stated she modified the Hawaii order in the registration hearing, she simply states that she disagrees and gives no explanation! "Uh, I won't rule on this, case dismissed!"

Other

Comment #: WA676
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Schaller needs to review the Constitution and Bill of Rights of this wonderful country. She is a disgrace to the robe that she wears, and to the justice system. How did you sleep, Judge Schaller, after seeing the police pictures of my 6-year-old granddaughter after one of the many beatings with a belt by her father? Did you give a second thought about her 8-year-old autistic brother, who weighed 36 pounds and was punched with fists in places where his teachers could not see when they changed his diaper? He was denied water and food and life-saving medicine. You are a disgrace, and I feel so sad for anyone who comes before you, now that you have manipulated the system to get to your new position. One day you will be shown to be the screw-up that you are, and your family name won't help you then.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: WA412
Rating:9.9

Comments:
I have been in practice for 15+ years and have practiced in seven counties in WA. Chris Schaller is one of the top five judicial officers I have serving under. I know enough about family law to know that the people who are so opposed to her and post ridiculous comments and videos have left out much of their story. She is an asset to Thurston County.

Other

Comment #: WA410
Rating:7.0

Comments:
She scores high on almost all marks, but she is not perfect. This is only my personal experience. Christine Schaller's system of fairness is fair for attorneys and attorneys only. As an unrepresented individual, I've been witness to my time and money and others being wasted in our system. When represented in the past, my attorney stated to Judge Schaller that an error of law had been made. This is language attorneys use to judges that basically means you screwed up. I'm living proof that it is OK for Thurston County Judges to make inaccurate rulings despite State Statutes and Constitutional law. No one questions it, including many local attorneys sitting in the court room. It's unfortuante that a system has to have victims, including children, before anyone recognizes deficiencies. As for residency, I was born at St. Peter's Hospital and my family has lived here all of their lives. If Christine Schaller is correct and accurate on her interpretation of law 100% of the time, she really doesn't have anything to worry about when it comes to re-election, does she? or is it more than this?

Other

Comment #: WA335
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Here are the facts. I am not a disgruntled parent trying to "bash" Christine Schaller's reputation through ignorance, but rather a citizen and a voter.
Christine Schaller is a resident of Pierce County in Washington State, and is running for a seat on Thurston County's Superior Court. This is a court that renders rulings for Thurston County, a county she does not reside in. She fully admits this, but it would be much like the President of The United States being a resident in a neighboring country such as Canada or Mexico that doesn't have to live by any of the actions the president, or his office, make. The elected official of a given office being totally exempt from any rulings made by that office seems illegal, and it is.
Washington State law unambiguously prohibits this sort of political "Do as I say, not as I do" (RCW 42.04.020)

Eligibility to hold office.

That no person shall be competent to qualify for or hold any elective public office within the state of Washington, or any county, district, precinct, school district, municipal corporation or other district or political subdivision, unless he be a citizen of the United States and state of Washington and an elector of such county, district, precinct, school district, municipality or other district or political subdivision.

Christine Schaller is well supported by her fellow judges and political allies, many who claim that those that don't support Schaller were disgruntled litigants of hers in the Thurston County Family Court system, an appointed office and except from residency restrictions (see some other quotes below).

This is cronyism, and the only reason that she is allowed to run for a seat on a court that serves a region in which she is not a resident, is because her fellow attorneys have successfully, and obscenely argued that because the state constitution makes no mention of residency requirements for Superior Court, either in support or against them, that this should be interpreted as in favor of allowing candidates for this court seat to be above the state law, and thus dismiss any laws that would prohibit her running for this position.
This is ugly and vulgar politics, especially for the highest judicial position within Thurston County, a position whose only responsibility is enforcing and upholding the law.
This is why I am upset with this candidate and the fellow judges and politicians that support her.

It would be wise for Christine Schaller to remember that in this case, it is the voters that speak last, and speak with authority.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: WA330
Rating:8.9

Comments:
Impressive judicial officer.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: WA300
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I have worked as a family law attorney in front of Cmmissioner Schaller for many years. She is always be well prepared, knows the law, and applies it fairly. She uses common sense when appropriate and is protective of children. She is respectful of both lawyers and pro se litigants as well as managing her courtroom so that cases move along efficiently. The times I have disagreed with her decisions have been few and usually simply a matter of honestly viewing the facts differently. I rarely have clients that are angry and upset over her decisions because most of them recognize that even if they did not get everything they wanted, their point of view was heard, that they were treated with respect, and that their children were put first.

Other

Comment #: WA289
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I know several attorneys who have worked in Commissioner Schaller's court and they all complimented her on being well prepared for the cases that come before her and that she is consistent in her rulings and correctly applying the law based on the facts of the case. She has been recognized several times by her peers with top ratings and awards. As most citizens don't directly have reason to know about their judges/commissioners, the wide esteem of her peers should carry a lot of weight vs. a few disgruntled folks who did not win their case and leave out inconvenient facts about their case when attacking Commissioner Schaller on-line.

I also have several friends that have been in Commissioner Schaller's court - from a single dad with full custody of his daughter whose mother is constantly dragging him back into court but who isn't getting anywhere as she continues not to comply with previous court orders but then seems to expect a different result; to the mother of a son who was in the juvenile drug court, whose son felt Commissioner Schaller was really interested in him doing well in the program and not talking down to him; to a woman with third party custody of a niece - who was very impressed that Commissioner Schaller, in the midst of wading through legal issues and arguments between the aunt and the mother, made a point in asking how the child was doing and not forgetting about the child while sorting out the legal facts.

Commissioner Schaller is dedicated to the law and serving the people of Thurston county.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: WA193
Rating:3.0

Comments:
I wish Commissioners would learn more about teh Laws they are supposed to impose :(

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: WA166
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Commissioner Schaller is one of the finest judicial officers I have practiced in front of in 13+ years of practice. She knows the law, knows the facts, and applys the law evenhandedly. Her decisions are sound. Her demeanor calm but firm. She always treats everyone with the utmost in respect. She is a shining star in our judicial system.