--- title: "Eric M. Ohme | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/eric-m-ohme-commissioner-island-county-district-court-1849-wa" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-07-26" --- # Eric M. Ohme Island County - District Court · Commissioner ## Profile - Court: Island County - District Court - State: Washington - Role: Commissioner - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### photography recording Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: 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 judge [Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/GR/GA_GR_16_00_00.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### limitations on recording Scope: statewide If a Washington judge limits courtroom photography or recording, GR 16 requires particularized findings on the record and treats open access as presumed. Evidence excerpt: Open access is presumed; limitations on access must be supported by reasons found by the judge to be sufficiently compelling to outweigh that presumption [Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/GR/GA_GR_16_00_00.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_dir/index.cfm?fa=court_dir.persondetail&indid=1849&orgid=434) - [Official roster](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_dir/index.cfm?fa=court_dir.persondetail&indid=1849&orgid=434) - [Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_dir/index.cfm?fa=court_dir.persondetail&indid=1849&orgid=434) - [Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/GR/GA_GR_16_00_00.pdf) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/eric-m-ohme-commissioner-island-county-district-court-1849-wa", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/eric-m-ohme-commissioner-island-county-district-court-1849-wa", "name": "Eric M. 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Ohme", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/eric-m-ohme-commissioner-island-county-district-court-1849-wa" } ] } ] } ``` ## Biography ### Professional career - The Commissioner of Island County District Court and Oak Harbor Municipal Court in Washington, sworn in on November 27, 2024, after a 21‐year career as the county’s top criminal deputy prosecutor. - District Court Commissioner, a role that grants the same criminal and civil authority as a judge - Part of the Island County District & Municipal Court judiciary, which also includes Presiding Judge Ronald A.M. Costeck ### Education - University of Seattle — J.D. ### Additional information - He also served in various deputy prosecutor roles from 2003 to 2025, including as Deputy Prosecuting Attorney I and II, and as a drug enforcement specialist. - Before becoming a judge, Ohme spent over 21 years as Island County’s Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. - Handling over 2,000 felony cases during his tenure - Prior to joining Island County, he was an associate in a Tacoma general practice firm. - Ohme’s move from prosecutor to judge marked a shift from high‐stress felony prosecution to a broader judicial role, which he said offered a “change of pace” while allowing him to continue serving the community. ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Washington GR 16, Courtroom Photography and Recording by the News Media](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-7133c6bd26c80972b86e0d31) — 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](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/GR/GA_GR_16_00_00.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26.