Governor Appointee Kelly Wood to Replace Retiring Judge Carol Murphy for Thurston County Superior Court 

Judge-appointee Kelly Wood was appointed by Governor Bob Ferguson to the Thurston County Superior Court in July 2026. Judge-appointee Wood will replace Judge Carol Murphy, the most senior judge on Thurston County Superior Court, having been first elected in 2008. Judge Murphy served as Presiding Judge of the Court from 2014 to 2017, and served previous rotations as Trial Judge, DUI/Drug Court Judge, and Criminal Presiding Judge. Judge Murphy’s retirement date is July 1, 2026. It is anticipated that Judge-appointee Wood will begin with the Court in mid-July and will take over Judge Murphy’s civil caseload. Invitation for swearing in will follow separately. 

Prior to his appointment, Judge-appointee Wood served the people of the State of Washington for nearly two decades as a Senior Counsel and managing Assistant Attorney General. In this capacity, Judge-appointee Wood’s practice focused on complex litigation representing Washington at all levels of both state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court and multiple unanimous victories in the Washington Supreme Court. This also involved managing a team of attorneys representing the state in the areas of climate change, air quality, nuclear waste, and energy facility siting. Judge-appointee Wood is also recognized nationwide for his leadership in Clean Water Act litigation and policy and helped pioneer Washington’s use of consumer protections to keep harmful metals out of children’s products. 

Judge-appointee Wood graduated Summa Cum Laude from Seattle University School of Law in 2007 and holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with honors, from the University of North Texas. 

Judge-appointee Wood has resided in Olympia since relocating from Seattle in 2008, raising two boys in the community. He served for many years on the Executive Committee of the bar association’s Environmental and Land Use Law Section, including as Chair, and volunteered for the Housing Justice Project as an attorney. An avid mountain biker for over 30 years, Judge-appointee Wood served on the board of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and was President of the Friends of Capitol Forest, a group dedicated to enhancing safety and recreational opportunities for cyclists and other trail users in the South Sound region. Judge-appointee Wood remains active in trail maintenance efforts throughout Washington and designed and led construction efforts for the “Level Up” trail in Capitol Forest to provide a friendly trail option for kids and beginners to progress their biking and hiking skills on.