Contenders challenged the performance of Federal Way Municipal Court Judge Michael Morgan on Wednesday, questioning and criticizing how he manages his court.

Candidates said respect, integrity and teamwork are key ingredients needed to run the court well.

Morgan, who was reprimanded in December by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, defended how he has managed his court to his five challengers and about 100 people at a candidates’ forum at Federal Way High School.

“This is not a job for on-the-job training,” Morgan said. “Our court is nationally recognized as doing a great job.”

Five challengers and Morgan faced off in advance of the Aug. 18 primary. The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.

While the election proceeds, the Federal Way City Council is studying whether to shut down Municipal Court and contract with King County District Court. The council might make a decision Aug. 4.

Morgan, the court’s presiding judge since 2006, was elected to a four-year term as a Municipal Court judge in November 2005.

The challengers touted a range of legal experiences, from running law practices to serving as a judge pro tem.

Rebecca Robertson, a prosecutor in the Seattle City Attorney’s Office for the past six years, said the Municipal Court’s employees deserve respect and need to be treated as a team.

“That is what is lacking in the Federal Way Municipal Court right now,” Robertson said.

Matthew York, a deputy prosecuting attorney in the King County Prosecutor’s Office, said he has the skills needed “to fix the court here in Federal Way.” He cited his experience in management and criminal law and training in conflict resolution.

Most of the candidates agreed the city should continue to have its own Municipal Court.

Williams Jarvis, director of the North Seattle Community College Foundation, said either keeping Municipal Court or contracting with King County was OK with him.

He said the District Court would offer added resources.

“The solution is simply to elect better people,” said James Santucci, an attorney with The Lanz Firm in Seattle and a Federal Way resident.

Mark Knapp, who has lived and practiced law in Federal Way since 1991, said that to restore faith in the court “there has to be teamwork between the two judges we have.”

Jarvis said he was “deeply offended” that Morgan used his office to shield himself from improper conduct.

The judicial conduct commission reprimanded Morgan for swearing at the city’s police chief, making intimidating comments to court staff members and making inappropriate jokes and comments to court employees.

Federal Way paid $99,468.82 in attorney fees through May 21 defending itself against a lawsuit by Morgan to block the release of a report on a hostile workplace claim by a court clerk.

The Washington State Supreme Court last month ordered the release of the report, which concluded Morgan yelled at court employees, made sexist or rude remarks to court clerks, boasted about his status as the judge and boss and retaliated against those who crossed him.

Morgan said last month “that much of this report contains false and misleading information, as well as situations taken completely out of context.”

The court’s other judge, Dave Larson, will face attorney Renee Walls in the Nov. 3 general election.

The annual salary for each of the two Municipal Court judges is $134,623.

Steve Maynard: 253-597-8647

steve.maynard@thenewstribune.com