Judge Johanna Bender scolds media for coverage after sympathizing with murder suspect’s mom

A soft-on-crime Seattle judge, King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender, recently lashed out at the media for daring to criticize her reckless decisions. This comes after she offered sympathy—not to the victim’s grieving family—but to the family of an accused murderer. If anything, her comments are a reminder that she deserves even more media scrutiny, not less.

The Renton Police Department (RPD) and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO) said 20-year-old K’Shawn Jimerson attacked 65-year-old military veteran Michael Grey from behind with a broomstick before fatally stabbing him twice with a kitchen knife. Jimerson claimed self-defense, but surveillance footage showed him to be the aggressor.