Alan R. Hancock at a glance
- Current role
- Commissioner
- Jurisdiction
- Washington · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Alan R. Hancock
Commissioner · San Juan County - Superior Court
Biography
Professional career
- Distinguished judge in Washington State’s Superior Court system, serving for 32 years before retiring in 2020.
- Joined the Island County Superior Court in 1989 and later also held the role of a judge in the San Juan County Superior Court until the joint judicial district was dissolved in 2008
- Before becoming a judge, Hancock worked in private practice in Oak Harbor, WA from 1985, and earlier held the role of a deputy prosecuting attorney in Island County (1976–1984).
Education
- B.A. from Western Washington University (1973) and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law (1976).
Additional information
- In March 2020, Hancock announced he would not seek reelection after 32 years on the bench, citing a desire to spend more time with family, manage his farm, and engage in community volunteer work.
- He and his wife, Elizabeth, owned a 90‐acre ancestral farm in Central Whidbey, purchased in parts in 1886 and 1906.
- He succeeded by Judge Christon Skinner.
- He presided over a wide range of cases, including criminal trials, family law matters, and civil litigation.
- He was active in judicial governance, serving on the Washington State Supreme Court’s Ethics Advisory Committee (past chair) and the Code of Judicial Conduct Task Force (co-chair), as well as the Board of Trustees of the Superior Court Judges’ Association.
- Hancock received the Outstanding Judge of the Year Award from the Washington State Bar Association.
- A Coupeville native, he was a bagpipe player, cyclist, and active in local organizations such as the Coupeville United Methodist Church, Navy League, and various historical societies.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Washington GR 16 allows video recording, audio recording, and still photography by the news media in courtrooms only after the judge has expressly granted permission.
Video and audio recording and still photography by the news media are allowed in the courtroom during and between sessions, provided (1) that permission shall have first been expressly granted by the judgeWashington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗
Statewide
If a Washington judge limits courtroom photography or recording, GR 16 requires particularized findings on the record and treats open access as presumed.
Open access is presumed; limitations on access must be supported by reasons found by the judge to be sufficiently compelling to outweigh that presumptionWashington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media
San Juan County - Superior Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 11, 2026.
Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster ↗Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media ↗