I’ve just returned from a ceremony I’d never have expected until very recently to witness firsthand and that I don’t expect I’ll ever witness again – the swearing in of a Washington State Supreme Court Justice, in this case, my friend and fellow Bainbridge Islander Charlie Wiggins.

Must I from now on address him as Justice Wiggins? I doubt it. At least one thing is certain – Charlie is a humble and approachable man of the highest integrity. The theme of his career is expressed in the book of Amos: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream.”

This was a gratifying experience because what I heard were the voices of real people with real lives, real families and genuine passions – people who have achieved some great things and who are now at the pinnacle of their careers in an important and respected profession.

I came away feeling that our courts are to a very high degree in good hands, that they’re vital to the protection of our liberty and our cherished unalienable rights as Americans and members of the human race.

Is justice delivered perfectly? Not always, and I feel certain the judges and justices I met today in Olympia would acknowledge that as fact.

Charlie eloquently affirmed his desire as an attorney and now as a justice to bring to his work the effort he’s made throughout his career to restore balance to relationships that have gotten out of sync. I couldn’t be more proud to call him my friend.

All of Kitsap County and the state can likewise be proud of their decision to invest him with this responsibility.

John Hays

Bainbridge Island