This race for King County District Court just got even more interesting. Already, there were concerns about candidate Sarah Hayne receiving serious financial backing from a group called "Citizens for Judicial Excellence." As Lael Henterly writes in this week's Stranger, "Her husband, Stephen Hayne, was one of CJE's founding members, a fact that has fueled speculation that something scandalous is afoot." When CJE announced earlier this year that it would be putting its resources behind Hayne, several members up and quit. Since then, claims of "nepotism" have been flying.

Now the King County Bar Association has admonished Hayne for "publishing misleading statements about her years of experience." As KCBA President Steven R. Rovig said in a statement e-mailed to reporters: "She states in her campaign materials that for the past 22 years she has worked as a pro tem judge, a prosecutor, and a defense attorney, yet she told KCBA that she worked on a limited or part-time basis during the bulk of that period. As a result, KCBA finds those written statements to be misleading."

As with the charges of nepotism, Hayne's level of experience—and her claims about her experience—have long been an issue in this campaign. In Henterly's article, a CJE spokesperson suggests sexism is behind the experience concerns. Others say the concerns are totally legit. One fact not in dispute: Hayne refused to be rated by local bar associations, while Judge Shah has received a bunch of "exceptionally well qualified" ratings, including from the KCBA.

"It bothers me if someone is afraid to appear and be evaluated by these groups," University of Washington law professor Hugh Spitzer told Henterly. The CJE, which just spent $18,000 on mailers for Hayne, claims the KCBA is biased in favor of incumbents so it's no big deal that Hayne refused to be rated.