More detail on this person: Judge Thomas J Majhan, 67 Jefferson County judge dies of cancer#From staff and news service reports 8 Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA) - Thursday, January 22, 2004 Jefferson County Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Majhan, who died after a brief struggle with cancer, left a legacy of fairness and humor. Majhan, 67, died Sunday at Harrison Hospital in Bremerton. He was diagnosed Jan. 2 with cancer of the lungs and back, and was undergoing chemotherapy. Majhan frequently served as a visiting judge in Kitsap County Superior Court when conflicts caused local judges to excuse themselves. Deputy Prosecutor Neil Wachter of Kitsap County called Majhan "a real fixture in Kitsap County Superior Court." "He was loved by everyone who worked with him," Wachter said. "We'll miss him." Among Majhan's current assignments in Kitsap County was presiding over the felony prosecutions of two law enforcement officers accused of assaulting their wives. Wachter said it's all but certain that the Feb. 9 trial of Kitsap County Deputy Sheriff Mike Mayson on charges of deadly weapon assault and unlawful imprisonment will have to be postponed. Pre-trial motions set for last Friday were postponed because Majhan was in the hospital. The case of Bremerton Police Officer William Cook IV is less directly affected. It is on hold while the defense appeals a Majhan ruling that the statute of limitations for charging Cook had not run out because a special 10-year window applies when a police officer is involved. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pa., Majhan had just finished law school at the University of Puget Sound when he and his wife, Dee Ann, came to the North Olympic Peninsula in 1977, said Harry Holloway, a friend and fellow lawyer. After a short stay in Sequim, Majhan opened a law office in Port Townsend and practiced civil law, which he continued after he was elected to a part-time position on the district court bench in 1982, Holloway said. The post became a full-time job that he held until 1998. In 2000, he was elected to Superior Court, succeeding Judge William Howard. "He had a particular interest in young people," Howard said. "He was able to get the drug court established, something he was enthusiastic about. He saw it as a way to help a lot of young people that the juvenile system wasn't handling as well as they could." Majhan was a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Army from 1960-74. He entered the service as a second lieutenant and was a lieutenant colonel when he left. Majhan was preceded in death by his wife. The couple had no children. His position on the bench will be filled by appointment from the governor until an election in the fall, Howard said.
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