Governor appoints Kelly Wood to replace retiring Thurston County Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy

Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed Kelly Wood to replace retiring Thurston County Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy. 

Murphy officially retired on Wednesday, July 1, after 34 years of public service, including 17 years on the Thurston County bench.

Wood's appointment to Thurston County Superior Court goes into effect July 2, and he is expected to take over Murphy’s civil caseload in mid-July, the Thurston County Superior Court and the Governor's Office announced Wednesday. 

Wood will serve out the remainder of Murphy's four-year term, which ends in 2028. 

“I am humbled and honored by this appointment,” Wood said. “The Thurston County bench has a long tradition of integrity and rigorous legal analysis, and I am committed to carrying both forward.”

Murphy was Thurston County Superior Court’s most-senior judge, having been first elected in 2008. She served as presiding judge of the court from 2014 to 2017, and served previous rotations as trial judge, DUI/Drug Court judge and criminal presiding judge. 

Prior to his appointment, Wood served as senior counsel and managing assistant attorney general advising the Washington State Department of Ecology. 

He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Seattle University School of Law in 2007 and holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with honors, from the University of North Texas.

He has resided in Olympia since relocating from Seattle in 2008, raising two boys in the community. 

Prior to his appointment to the bench at Thurston County Superior Court, Wood served the people of the State of Washington for nearly two decades as a senior counsel and managing assistant attorney general. In this capacity, Wood’s practice focused on complex litigation representing Washington at all levels of both state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court and multiple unanimous victories in the Washington Supreme Court. 

This also involved managing a team of attorneys representing the state in the areas of climate change, air quality, nuclear waste and energy facility siting. 

Wood is also recognized nationwide for his leadership in Clean Water Act litigation and policy and helped pioneer Washington’s use of consumer protections to keep harmful metals out of children’s products. 

Wood served for many years on the Executive Committee of the bar association’s Environmental and Land Use Law Section, including as chair, and volunteered for the Housing Justice Project as an attorney.

An avid mountain biker for over 30 years, Wood also served on the board of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and was President of the Friends of Capitol Forest, a group dedicated to enhancing safety and recreational opportunities for cyclists and other trail users in the South Sound region. 

Wood remains active in trail maintenance efforts throughout Washington and designed and led construction efforts for the “Level Up” trail in Capitol Forest to provide a friendly trail option for kids and beginners to progress their biking and hiking skills on.

“Kelly Wood has done extraordinary work litigating some of the most significant issues facing the State of Washington,” Ferguson said. “I worked closely with Kelly for many years at the Attorney General’s Office. He is an excellent lawyer and will make an excellent Thurston County judge.”

Wood’s swearing-in ceremony will be scheduled at a later date, Thurston County Superior Court said in a news release.