Fil-Am named King County Superior Court judge

King County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Santos/CONTRIBUTED

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has announced his appointment of Benjamin Santos to the King County Superior Court.

Effective April 1, Santos fills the position vacated by Judge Annette Messitt, who resigned from the bench on Monday.

Santos, a Filipino American, has more than two decades of experience as a senior deputy prosecutor at the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, where he has led the Misdemeanor and Special Assault units and currently serves as assistant chief deputy in the Juvenile Division.

“Ben Santos will be an exceptional addition to the King County Superior Court bench,” Ferguson said in a statement. “He has worked to protect the rights of both victims and the accused, inside and outside the courtroom. This lifelong commitment to our justice system combined with his broad legal experience will serve Washingtonians well.”

Santos said he was “deeply honored” to be appointed by Gov. Ferguson and “to serve the people of King County and the State of Washington in this new chapter of public service.”

“Today, I stand on the shoulders of many who paved the way,” he said.

Who is Benjamin Santos?

Santos’ parents fought for Filipino cannery workers and against the Philippine dictatorship in the 1970s, shaping his sense of justice and commitment to public service.

Prior to earning his law degree, Santos advocated for marginalized residents in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, where he helped mitigate the impacts of development projects.

Santos has prosecuted a broad range of cases. He has collaborated with partners in the justice system to address the statewide sexual assault kit backlog and explore evidence-based strategies for reducing juvenile recidivism.

Santos started his legal career as an intern with the Public Defender’s Service and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. He served as a law clerk for current Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu when she served on the King County Superior Court. Santos also worked for a year as a consultant to the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development in Washington, D.C.

Santos earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University, where he co-founded the Filipino American Student Association and one of the first Filipino American fraternities in the country. He earned his law degree from American University in Washington, D.C.

He lives in Seattle with his wife and two children.