Washington state attorneys are seeking a stiffer prison sentence for former Superior Court judge Scott Gallina.
According to court documents, Seattle attorneys Melanie Tratnik and Sean Waite recently filed a motion asking Spokane County Judge Michael Price to reconsider the 15-month sentence he imposed on Gallina last month.
Gallina, a 58-year-old Clarkston resident, served as the Superior Court judge in Asotin, Columbia and Garfield counties for five years before being arrested for sexual misconduct in 2019. On the day his trial was to begin in April, he pleaded guilty to a felony and a gross misdemeanor — both assaults with sexual motivation — for crimes that occurred against two female co-workers at the Asotin County Courthouse. The plea agreement reached with the defense, state and approval of both victims, called for a sentencing range of 13-to-27 months behind bars, with the state advocating for the high end.
The attorney general’s office believes the Court made a legal error in July, when Gallina appeared before Judge Price in Asotin County. The motion will be heard by Price at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 19, without oral arguments. Gallina is now in custody of a state corrections facility and must register as a sex offender and complete three years of community custody when he’s released from prison. (Lewiston Tribune)
