Pierce County Superior Court Judge Michael Hecht addressed the news media after his conviction. Below is a partial transcript of his remarks:

Michael Hecht: “I think my attorney did a fabulous job. What’s very disappointing is four drug addicts were completely coerced and set up by Morgan Armijo and (Tacoma police) detective (Bradley) Graham to tell nothing but lies in this courtroom.

“Complicating the matter was the one-sided, unfair reporting by Adam Lynn of the TNT newspaper and, at the very beginning, the creation of this ridiculous story and putting everything out there for the public.

“What really matters to me is the love of my family, which are here, which will always be here, and the love of my grandson. One thing that got me through this whole thing, and I’ve had it in my pocket, had it with me all this time, is this letter from my grandson. He doesn’t know anything about this, of course.” Hecht showed a letter, which contained one word printed in a child’s handwriting: LOVE.

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Hecht: “I can only say that it’s hard to believe that 20 years of being a good person in the state of Washington, being involved with Antique Row, with the dealers down there, that anybody can conclude, that in anyway whatsoever, there was any prostitution involved.

“And again, you’ve got John Marx, a drug addict; you’ve got Joey Hesketh, a drug addict who was even shooting heroin the day he testified on the stand; you’ve got Eddie Smith; and these three people are all people I’ve never seen before.

“The myth and the whole basis of everything is that they had sex in my office in 2001. Clearly, I was not there ‘til 2003. You would have to disbelieve attorneys, social workers, other store owners and business people, other attorneys to believe that in any way I had any sexual relationship with them in 2001 in my office. I clearly had businesses in other locations … .

Again, I’m very disappointed today.”

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Reporter: Why do you think these people set you up if you were set up?

Hecht: “The reason I think I was set up ...”

Hecht’s wife, Marie Hecht: “Because Morgan Armijo ... said from the get-go ...”

Michael Hecht: “Shhhh. Honey, please.”

“A lot of times you can’t say in court what other people said because it’s hear-say. But what happened is Morgan Armijo had come up to me and said, ‘No matter what, you’re not going to stay on the bench.’ That came up. Also, a couple of the store owners that did not like me didn’t need much coaxing to get involved in this matter.

“And the other thing is, Eddie Smith was picked up 4 o’clock in the morning when detective Graham had put out a bulletin that he was looking for him. And the reason he was looking for him never came out. The reason he was looking for him is so that he could coerce him.

“He got caught smoking dope in a car, and they gave him a free pass. You do not go to jail. Here’s a card. It’s a free get-out-of-jail card. You call me., you’re going to say what I want.

It was set up from the beginning. I mean, absolutely from the beginning. I just don’t know who would look into the behavior of these individuals. All I can say is it’s absolutely a set-up that started, you know, with Morgan Armijo. He did a great job. Detective Graham did a great job.”

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TV reporter asks about his judgeship. Marie Hecht says, “Let’s go.”

Michael Hecht: “Oh, we haven’t really decided yet, you know.”

TV cameraman: What does Hecht have to say to the jury?

Michael Hecht: “I say to the jurors they were duped, and I thank them for their consideration in the matter.”