He Forged a $10 Parking Discount, Is No Longer a Judge
Getty/Sutthica Weerawong
A Washington state judge has been removed from his position after authorities found he created a fake document in an attempt to obtain a $10 reduction on a parking fee, according to reporting from the Seattle Times.
The state’s highest court decided to dismiss pro tem Judge David Ruzumna after it was determined he prepared a letter that included an official court seal and a stamp resembling another judge’s signature, neither of which he was authorized to use. He then presented the document to a parking attendant while seeking a discount he was not eligible for. The reduced parking rate—available to King County court employees—cut the usual $30 fee, but as a pro tem judge, Ruzumna did not qualify for it, even though he believed he should have.
Following the decision, Ruzumna said he accepted responsibility for what happened and insisted he acted immediately to acknowledge the mistake. He also argued that he intended the document as a joke when he handed it over, though the court did not accept that explanation. He had served as a pro tempore judge for roughly a decade, typically stepping in temporarily to handle caseloads or cover absences, but he has now been removed from that roster.
The state Supreme Court emphasized that the issue was not the parking discount itself, but the seriousness of creating an unauthorized official-looking document and presenting it as genuine to court staff, calling the conduct a clear lapse in judgment.
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