James Orlando at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Washington · State
- Judicial service
- Active
James Orlando
Biography
Professional career
- James R. Orlando was a distinguished judge in Washington’s Pierce County Superior Court, serving from 2000 until his retirement in December 2022
- Presiding Judge for Juvenile Court (2006) and Criminal Division (2005)
- Presiding Judge for the Superior Court (2003–2004)
- In 2000, he was elected to Pierce County Superior Court Department 1 and appointed by Governor Gary Locke to complete Judge Arthur Verharen’s term
- In 1995, he was appointed Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner, a role he held for five years, earning the title Outstanding Court Commissioner (1997–1999)
- Began as an associate at the law firm Rovai, McGoffin, later becoming a partner in Rovai, Miller, Foley and Orlando in 1986
- He also held the role of Municipal Court Judge for Fife and Fircrest, and as a District Court Pro Tem Judge
Education
- He then completed his J.D. at the University of Puget Sound School of Law in 1983.
- He attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, before transferring to the University of Washington, where he obtained a B.A. in Economics and Political Science in 1980.
Additional information
- Retired on December 30, 2022, after more than 22 years serving Pierce County citizens.
- Juvenile Court and Family Court assignments (2006–2012)
- Recognized in 2010 as Judge of the Year by the Washington State Association for Justice for outstanding judicial leadership.
- In 1993, he opened a solo practice in Fircrest
- His family moved to Gig Harbor in 1967, where he graduated from Peninsula High School in 1976.
- Born in Seattle, Washington in 1957, Orlando grew up in the Pacific Northwest.
- handling business, estate, personal injury, and family law.
- Active in numerous committees, including the Superior Court Judges’ Association Ethics and Criminal Law Committees, Guardian ad Litem Committee, Governor’s Juvenile Advisory Committee, and the Comprehensive Health Education Foundation board.
- He is married to Kristen Orlando, with two adult sons and six grandchildren.
- He also held the role of past president of Fircrest Kiwanis and the Christopher Columbus Society, and was a volunteer firefighter.
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
Pierce County - Municipal Courts - Fircrest
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 ↗