David DeWolf
Non-Partisan | Washington
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
David DeWolf
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2016
Election
General
Race
Supreme Court Justice, Place 1
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Stanford University, Stanford, CA, B.A., 1971
Yale Law School, New Haven, CT, J.D., 1979
WORK & MILITARY
Idaho Supreme Court, Law Clerk, 1979-80
Lukins & Annis, Litigation Attorney, 1980-84
Oklahoma City Univerity, Professor, 1984-87
Gonzaga Law School, Professor, 1988-2016
AFFILIATIONS
Artisan's Ark, Spokane, Wa, Board Chair, Life Services, Spokane, WA
Board Chair, Human Growth & Development, District 81, Committee Chair
Washington Pattern Instruction Committee, Member, 2006-2016
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
OTHER (1)
Mainstream Republicans of Washington
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (6)
Slade Gorton
Jim Johnson
Rob McKenna
George Nethercutt
Republican Party of Washington
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Steve O'Ban
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Election of judges by the people for a definite term of office is the best way to select judges.
Agree
Which U.S. Supreme Court justice best reflects your judicial philosophy?
Alito
Which of the following U.S. presidents best reflects your political philosophy?
No Answer
The founders established pure democracy in the Constitution because they believed that it is the best form of government to ensure the safety and equitable treatment of all citizens.
Strongly Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property turn mankind's natural self-interest into the most productive economic system there is.
Agree
George Washington's comment that “Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society” is still true today.
Strongly Agree
Islamic law (Sharia) does not pose a threat to the United States and its Constitution.
Disagree
Based on the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, please arrange the following entities, starting with the highest source of authority, and continue the list in descending order of authority, skipping any that do not apply: Academia, Congress, Constitution, God, Industry, Media, Professional Sports, Supreme Court, Voters.
With respect, the question is unclear. God is the authority in my life, but when I decide cases I am also bound to follow the law as adopted in the Constitution, statutes, and relevant precedent.
What in the nature of mankind caused America’s Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?
The Founders believed what Lord Acton later formulated as the axiom that power tends to corrupt, and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. By restraining the power that any single person or institution could exercise, the Founders minimized the likelihood that government would usurp the liberties of the people. They also divided power between federal and state government
What is the proper use of legislative history in interpreting statutory law?
Legislative history may reveal the subjective intent of some legislators, or certain bodies (like committees) within the legislature. As in the interpretation of contracts, one turns to the "parol evidence" regarding the intent of the parties only if the statutory language is ambiguous.
What specific text in the Declaration of Independence provides the critical basis for individual rights and the form of government guaranteed in the United States Constitution?
"that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
In which partisan primary election did you most recently vote (e.g. Democratic, Republican, etc.)?
N.A.
The U.S. Constitution and my state constitution should be interpreted as living documents, rather than use a strict constructionist or originalist philosophy.
Disagree
In light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges allowing members of the same sex to marry, which justice’s opinion in that case most closely approximates your understanding of marriage?
N.A.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, [here insert the balance of the Nicene Creed]
Considering all issues (social, economic, national security, etc.), which of these best describes you?
No Answer
Please defend your answer to the previous question by referencing your publicly available track record.
My personal beliefs, although they are a matter of public record, are not predictive of how I would rule as a justice. The value choices made by the people, both in the Constitution and in the statutes they pass, are the rules by which we have all agreed to be bound. I have a variety of opinions, expressed in many public media, but in taking the oath of office I assume a fiduciary duty to enforce and protect the rules adopted by the people. It is a sad commentary on the state of the judiciary that many people assume that a judicial office is simply a vehicle by which one can promote the public policies that the judge favors.
E-mail address and phone number for voters to reach you.
david@dewolfforjustice.org
Additional comment from candidate:
My personal hero is St. Thomas More, who had profound respect for the law and made every effort to follow the law. However, he also recognized the limits of the law and refused to violate his conscience in order to satisfy his king. Just before being executed, he said, "I die the King's good servant, but God's first."
