Puyallup Set to Hire First Female Municipal Judge

For the first time in Puyallup history, a woman is set to preside over local court.

Criminal defense attorney Andrea Beall has been selected by Mayor Rick Hansen to replace retiring Puyallup Municipal Judge Stephen Shelton. The Puyallup City Council is expected to vote on her appointment at the Oct. 2 regular meeting.

“I am honored that Mayor Hansen and the committee selected me,” said Beall in a city press release. “I look forward to serving the City of Puyallup and becoming a part of the fabric of this community.”  

Beall has served as Judge Pro Tem for the cities of Puyallup, Auburn, Sumner, Issaquah and Tacoma. She graduated cum laude from the Seattle University School of Law in 1996 and is currently a partner in the law firm of Stewart Beall MacNichols & Harmell, Inc., P.S. She has more than 15 years of experience in criminal defense.

She and her family have lived in the greater Puyallup area since 1999. She will be the first woman judge to preside at the Puyallup Municipal Court. 

"There were 14 applicants to begin with and we interviewed three highly qualified finalists,” said Hansen. “Andrea’s experience and qualifications stood above the rest."

Shelton announced his intention to retire last August, saying he wanted to give the Council time to find his replacement. His last day on the bench will be Oct. 31. Beall, when confirmed, will begin Nov. 1. She will fill Shelton’s term until November 2013. Puyallup's municipal judge is an elected position.