Experience. Independence. Justice for All.
Judge Sharonda Amamilo has spent her career defending constitutional rights; as a public defender, a Superior Court judge, and a retired Army intelligence officer. Now she’s running for the Washington Supreme Court because voters, not politicians, should choose who sits on our highest court.
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A Judge Who Earned Her Seat in the Courtroom.
Judge Sharonda D. Amamilo has dedicated her life to service; to her country, to the law, and to the people of Washington State. She currently serves on the Thurston County Superior Court, where she was elected in 2020, and sits as a Judge Pro Tempore on the Washington Court of Appeals, Division II. She is the first person of color to serve as a judge in Thurston County.
Before taking the bench, Judge Amamilo spent 12 years at the Thurston County Office of Public Defense, rising to management leadership and representing adults and children in Superior, Municipal, and Tribal courts. She knows what it means to fight for people who have no one else in their corner. Her 23 years of legal practice have given her a firsthand understanding of how the justice system works, and where it falls short.
Judge Amamilo also served 25 years in U.S. Army military intelligence, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer. As a Certified Intelligence Oversight Officer, she produced careful written analysis under demanding, time-critical conditions—the same kind of disciplined reasoning the Supreme Court demands. She has called Washington home since being stationed here from Germany at the end of her active service in 1992.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in adult education from Southern Illinois University, a master’s in business administration from Saint Martin’s College, and her J.D. from Seattle University School of Law.
On the trial bench, Judge Amamilo presides over felony criminal trials, complex civil litigation, and significant family law and dependency matters, including appeals from courts of limited jurisdiction and administrative agencies. Her work on the Court of Appeals has included panel review of records and briefing, statutory interpretation, and collaborative judicial deliberation.
Beyond the courtroom, she serves on the Washington State Sentencing Guidelines Commission, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families Oversight Board, and statewide task forces addressing jail standards and alternatives to incarceration. These roles give her a systems-level perspective on how the Supreme Court’s decisions shape real outcomes for families and communities across Washington.