Today Gov. Jay Inslee announced the appointment of Cadine Ferguson-Brown to the Kitsap County Superior Court. She will replace Judge Sally Olsen, who is retiring from the bench effective Jan.1, 2024.
Ferguson-Brown was first appointed by Inslee in 2022 to the Mason County Superior Court, where she became known for her fair, even-handed and well-considered decisions. During her tenure, she presided over four departments, hearing a variety of complex civil and criminal law matters. In the juvenile department, she worked with staff and stakeholders to create a more people-friendly courtroom and streamlined processes to reduce delays in other departments. Ferguson-Brown was also active in the Superior Court Judges Association, joining the Certified Professional Guardianship and Conservatorship Board, Minority and Justice Commission, the Bench Bar Press and other civil and criminal committees. Her prior work included serving as a superior court commissioner, as well as owning and operating her own practice where she focused on the areas of domestic relations, dependency, worker’s compensation, and immigration.
Ferguson-Brown lives in Kitsap County and has a strong record of giving back to her community. She served as a board member of Agape Unlimited, a Bremerton-based non-profit outpatient substance use disorder treatment program, and as a member of the Redress Committee for the Bremerton NAACP. She has volunteered with various local organizations such as Plates of Hope and New Day Ministries to serve the unsheltered, and with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and the Moderate Means program to provide pro bono or low bono services. In addition, Ferguson-Brown enjoys working with youths and has mentored girls through Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Jamaican High School students through Dream Jamaica. She has also presented on the Constitution to 5th through 8th graders and has been a judge and rater for the YMCA Mock Trials.
“Cadine Ferguson-Brown is an extraordinary judge and is well prepared to serve the Kitsap County community in this role,” said Inslee. “I’m pleased that she will bring her integrity, work ethic, courage and judicial skills to the Kitsap County Superior Court bench.”
Ferguson-Brown earned her law degree from the School of Legal Studies at the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom.