I have known Wes Williams since I was the Union police chief and he was a La Grande attorney. He is a man of many fine attributes that can serve the people of Northeast Oregon. Over the years, we communicated on several cases, and I always found him to be calm, professional, objective, honest and open-minded.

Judge Williams is competent and highly intelligent without being an intellectual. He can comprehend a great amount of detailed information and understand whether and how it applies to a case. He follows the facts, wherever they may lead, without prejudice.

Even though I left the area to serve law enforcement elsewhere, my wife and I still own property in Union County and may return one day. I was delighted to hear Wes was now a trial judge in our old home ground. The people of Union and Wallowa counties are fortunate to have him. I cannot imagine anyone better for the post.

I fully endorse Wes Williams for reelection as Union County’s circuit court judge.

Dean Muchow

Former Union police chief

Gladstone

The Observer will run endorsement letters of no more than 350 words. We institute a deadline for letters to the editor so we can be fair with all the letters we receive and allow for responses before Election Day, if necessary. We run local letters of endorsement on a first-come, first-served basis. Please submit your endorsement letters to the editor by 5 p.m. Friday, April 26. You can email them to news@lagrandeobserver.com or mail them to The Observer, Attn.: Andrew Cutler, 911 Jefferson Ave., La Grande, OR 97850. We will publish our last endorsement letters on Saturday, May. 18. Any letters received after the April 26 deadline will not be published in print or online.