Career
Maleng was born in Acme, Washington, and grew up on a dairy farm. Known as "Kim" during his youth and to those close to him throughout his life, he graduated from the University of Washington in 1960, then served as an officer in the military. He obtained his law degree in 1966 from the University of Washington Law School, was elected as Prosecutor in 1978, and was re-elected seven times.
Maleng was involved in a number of high-profile cases, most notably the 1983 Wah Mee Massacre, the 2006 Seattle Jewish Federation shooting committed by Naveed Afzal Haq, and the serial murders of Gary Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer.
He ran for the Republican nomination for Governor of Washington in 1988 and 1996. In 1992, he lost an election for Attorney General to Christine Gregoire.
Maleng is credited with bringing several large scale policy reforms to Washington State's Criminal Justice system including passage of the 1984 Sentencing Reform Act, tougher penalties for car thefts in 2007 and rethinking the prosecution of low level drug offenses by placing emphasis on treatment options after a first or second offense, rather than lengthy prison sentences.
Read more about this topic: Norm Maleng
Famous quotes containing the word career:
“It is a great many years since at the outset of my career I had to think seriously what life had to offer that was worth having. I came to the conclusion that the chief good for me was freedom to learn, think, and say what I pleased, when I pleased. I have acted on that conviction... and though strongly, and perhaps wisely, warned that I should probably come to grief, I am entirely satisfied with the results of the line of action I have adopted.”
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