Michael Hecht, the newest judge in Pierce County Superior Court, is supposed to take the bench Monday after three weeks of judicial training – but he might have little to do.
County prosecutors refuse to try criminal cases in front of him. On Thursday, Pierce County prosecutor Gerry Horne said the boycott could extend to civil cases as well.
Hecht will face similar obstacles in juvenile court. State attorneys who represent child welfare agencies intend to file affidavits of prejudice if Hecht is assigned to their cases, said Janelle Guthrie, spokeswoman for the state Attorney General’s Office.
Collectively, the promised refusals will leave Hecht with a near-empty duty calendar, instead of the standard diet of felony criminal and civil matters judges handle.
“We’ll try to assign him something else to do,” said Superior Court Judge Brian Chushcoff, the presiding judge who assigns calendars to the court’s 22 judges. “We’re gonna try to at least keep him busy – I think the taxpayers expect that.”
Elected in August 2008 and sworn in Jan. 12, Hecht faces allegations that he patronized prostitutes and recently threatened one of them – a 24-year-old man. Tacoma police are investigating the allegations, and the Attorney General’s Office is reviewing the ongoing inquiry.
Through his attorney, Wayne Fricke, Hecht denies any criminal activity and is declining interviews.
Speaking for Hecht, Fricke has called the allegations politically motivated, noting that they were first raised by supporters of Sergio Armijo, the former Superior Court judge defeated by Hecht in last summer’s election.
The initial allegations against Hecht stemmed from statements by two men who say Hecht paid them for sex. Tacoma police recently interviewed a third man, Joseph Robert Pfeiffer, who said Hecht paid him for sex eight to 10 times over the past two years. The most recent encounter was last fall in Hecht’s Tacoma law office, Pfeiffer told police.
The News Tribune interviewed Pfeiffer on Jan. 23 at the Cowlitz County Jail, where he is incarcerated on a parole violation related to an earlier conviction for theft.
Pfeiffer, 20, said Tacoma police and Fricke, Hecht’s attorney, had already interviewed him. He refuted the claim that Hecht threatened the 24-year-old man. He told police he witnessed the incident that led to the allegation.
“There was no threat,” Pfeiffer told The News Tribune.
Pfeiffer has prior convictions for drug possession (he was caught with a crack pipe in downtown Tacoma), theft (he tried to steal food from a Dairy Queen) and malicious mischief (a juvenile conviction).
He is skinny, pale and brown-haired, sleepy-eyed and freckled, with faint wisps of facial hair. In June, he’ll be old enough to drink beer. He recited Hecht’s cell phone number from memory.
He calls Tacoma home, but he grew up in Thurston County, in the country, he said. He said he doesn’t talk to his family. He said he began hanging out by Tacoma’s Antique Row about two years ago, and eventually met Hecht, an antiques buff known for helping young people with a few bucks for food. Pfeiffer called him a nice guy.
Sometimes Hecht would drive downtown in a blue Nissan and give Pfeiffer money or take him for a burger. No sex, Pfeiffer said – that occurred only in Hecht’s law office.
The first time, he said, Hecht asked for sex and paid afterward. The next time, there was no need to ask.
“It was understood,” Pfeiffer said. “At first he would ask, then he didn’t have to ask anymore. Then he would just set up a time. After that it was me calling him.”
Pfeiffer said he sometimes initiated the contact. He would call Hecht when he was desperate for money and food.
“When I was homeless, it was just kind of my way to get by,” he said.
Pfeiffer gave the same account to Tacoma police, detective Brad Graham told The News Tribune.
The supposed threat involved another of Hecht’s accusers, Joseph John Hesketh IV, 24, who has told police that Hecht paid him for sex multiple times in the late 1990s.
Pfeiffer said Hecht learned of street gossip last fall and asked Pfeiffer if he was the source. Pfeiffer said no. Hecht then drove with Pfeiffer and found Hesketh walking. Hecht asked if Hesketh was spreading stories, told Hesketh to stop, then drove away. Pfeiffer said he didn’t hear a threat.
Pfeiffer said Fricke asked him to sign an affidavit that centered on the alleged threat to Hesketh. The affidavit did not mention Pfeiffer’s allegations of sex for pay with Hecht, Pfeiffer said.
Fricke confirmed to The News Tribune that he spoke to Pfeiffer, but declined to discuss specific details.
“I’m still investigating the case and still taking statements,” Fricke said. “I’m still doing that. Everything that we have obtained thus far has been provided to the Attorney General’s Office. We’re continuing to work the case. I think there’s a lot of contradictory information out there that puts into question these allegations.”
Horne said the decision to avoid criminal and civil cases in Hecht’s court reflects official caution, not a comment on the validity of the allegations.
“It’s not personal,” Horne said. “These are business or professional-type decisions we feel we have to make.”
Sean Robinson: 253-597-8486
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.