Here comes the judge

She's known since the age of 7 that she wanted to be a prosecutor.

Mary K. Dimke, 38, can't remember what triggered this career goal but she said it's something she's always wanted. It's a goal that changed a little over the years, but never strayed from the law, with her now serving as a U.S. magistrate judge in Yakima, with the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Washington.

When Dimke was growing up, she wasn't running around playing a pretend judge or lawyer. Instead, she was working hard on her family's ranch in Clarkston and showing cattle, pigs and sheep for 4-H and FFA. Dimke graduated from Clarkston High School in 1996, spending time as a cheerleader and a lifeguard.

Her mother, Jan Dimke, is the secretary treasurer of Bennett Lumber Products at Clarkston and her father, John, was a cattle

rancher.

"Working hard was just a way of life," Dimke said.

She credits her parents for instilling her with a hard work ethic.

It's something that would benefit her later in her college career and in her law career.

Dimke attended Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., and finished her bachelor's degree in political science in three years. After her undergraduate work, in 2002, she went on to Vanderbilt University School of Law in Nashville, Tenn. There she received her Juris Doctor degree.

It was when Dimke got into her law career that her dream changed.

"I knew my eventual goal was I wanted to be a judge," Dimke said.

She reached that goal in January.

Dimke was sworn in as a U.S. magistrate judge for an eight-year term.

"Every time I put on the robe I feel like I'm playing dress-up," Dimke said, adding it's surreal.

Dimke said her investiture ceremony was special for a few reasons. It marked what would have been her late father's 67th birthday.

He passed away at 59 from cancer in 2008.

"It made it feel like he was part of the day," Dimke said.

She also had a longtime mentor and friend, Judge Richard C. Tallman, swear her in.

Tallman sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in Seattle and has supported Dimke since her year as a law clerk in his office in 2004.

"It was very meaningful," she said about having Tallman swear her in.

Dimke also had family by her side. Her mother, Jan, her brother Mitch and her sister Monica Dewitt were in attendance as well as her husband, Jerod Shelby, and a handful of other family members.

During the ceremony, many judges spoke to Dimke's success.

"It is such a rare opportunity that you get to hear what people say about you," she said.

One of those judges was Edward Shea. Shea's been a judge for about 18 years and is a senior judge with the Eastern District of Washington.

"She's professional in every way," Shea said, adding it was evident from the beginning Dimke was prepared for the job.

Dimke challenges herself and has good judgment when it comes to cases, Shea said, noting the new magistrate judge is pragmatic and always respectful to those around her in the courtroom.

Shea said Dimke is not one to be daunted by high-profile cases.

Some of her many cases include fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion, drug offenses, identity theft, white collar crimes involving foreign bribery and corporate fraud.

"She's always devoted to being prepared," Shea said.

Shea said Dimke's bringing the values she learned in Clarkston to the courtroom and he's glad to see it.

Dimke went through a rigourous interview process before she became a judge. It was a terrifying experience, she said, and probably one of the most intense interviews she's ever had. But Shea said she was impressive during the interview and her work experience added to that.

In 2002 she spent a year in Wyoming as a law clerk and then in 2003 she went to work for Tallman for a year. After her time with Tallman she went to Washington, D.C., for three years as an honors program trial attorney for the Department of Justice. In 2008 she moved to Seattle to work as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington.

But she didn't move to Seattle just for the job. That's where her father was receiving cancer treatment and it was important for her to be by his side, she said.

In 2012 she left Seattle for Yakima, where she kept her assistant U.S. attorney title with the Eastern District of Washington office.

Now she's a judge.

"It's been a really good transition," she said.

Dimke became a judge to give back to the community and to practice something she believes strongly in.

"It's so important to me that the people that come before the court know I'm listening to them," Dimke said. "It's an honor to be a judge."

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Thacker may be contacted at sthacker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2278.