--- title: "Nicholas I. Henery | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nicholas-i-henery-judge-whatcom-county-municipal-court-bellingham-726-wa" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-07-26" --- # Nicholas I. Henery Whatcom County - Municipal Court - Bellingham · Judge ## Profile - Court: Whatcom County - Municipal Court - Bellingham - State: Washington - Role: Judge - 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=726&orgid=725) - [Official roster](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_dir/index.cfm?fa=court_dir.persondetail&indid=726&orgid=725) - [Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_dir/index.cfm?fa=court_dir.persondetail&indid=726&orgid=725) - [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/nicholas-i-henery-judge-whatcom-county-municipal-court-bellingham-726-wa", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nicholas-i-henery-judge-whatcom-county-municipal-court-bellingham-726-wa", "name": "Nicholas I. 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Henery", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nicholas-i-henery-judge-whatcom-county-municipal-court-bellingham-726-wa" } ] } ] } ``` ## Biography ### Professional career - The second municipal court judge for the City of Bellingham, Washington, appointed in March 2026 to handle a growing caseload of criminal and civil cases within city limits - Municipal Court Judge, Position II for the City of Bellingham ### Education - J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law (2014) and a B.A. in History from Western Washington University (2010). ### Additional information - His term runs through December 31, 2029, with an election scheduled for November 2029 for a new judge starting January 1, 2030. - Appointed by Mayor Kim Lund in March 2026 after being selected from four candidates. - Sworn in on March 9, 2026, at Bellingham City Hall. - The appointment was made to address a rapidly increasing caseload — from 23,672 cases in 2024 to 27,079 in 2025 — and to expand trial capacity, as commissioners cannot hear trials. - Henery’s role complements Judge Debra Lev, with the two jurists rotating the presiding role. - Traffic, parking, and other civil infractions - Specialized programs such as Mental Health Court and the Community Court (a drug-treatment and jail-diversion program he helped create) - The Bellingham Municipal Court has jurisdiction over violations of the city code, including assault, theft, DUI, trespassing, protective order violations, and numerous civil infractions. ## 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.