State Supreme Court rules that ex-Pierce County judge Michael Hecht is indigent

Former Pierce County Superior Court Judge Michael Hecht had lost repeatedly in lower courts when he argued that he is broke and could not afford to pay for his appeals of a conviction of felony harassment and patronizing a prostitute.

PETER CALLAGHAN; staff writer

Published: 11/10/11 8:35 am | Updated: 11/10/11 8:51 am

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Former Pierce County Superior Court Judge Michael Hecht had lost repeatedly in lower courts when he argued that he is broke and could not afford to pay for his appeals of a conviction of felony harassment and patronizing a prostitute.

But the state Supreme Court this morning ruled that because Hecht was receiving food stamps from the state, he was by definition of law indigent. The court ordered the case back to Superior Court for a determination of indigency.

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