Carolyn Dimmick Final PDF.indd - Washington Secretary of State

emotional benefits of parenthood. “It is a question which meddles with the concept of life
and the stability of the family unit. Litigation cannot answer every question; every question
cannot be answered in terms of dollars and cents.”
Dimmick: I do remember that! Having two adopted children it was not hard for me to
explain. I haven’t seen that for years. What year was that written?
Hughes: It was written in 1984. The couple sought damages to compensate for the costs
and “emotional burdens” of rearing and educating the unplanned child. You concluded that
they were entitled only to medical and other expenses directly related to the child’s birth.
“A child is more than an economic liability,” you wrote. “A child may provide its parents
with love, companionship, a sense of achievement and a limited form of immortality. … The
child may turn out to be loving, obedient and attentive or hostile, unruly and callous. The
child may grow up to be president of the United States or to be an infamous criminal.”
Dimmick: I remember that so well.
Hughes: Why was the federal bench a lot more interesting to you than the Supreme
Court when the opportunity arose in 1984? For one thing, as you mentioned earlier, it’s in
Seattle, right?
Dimmick: Yes, that’s right. And it’s a trial bench, and the Supreme Court is an appellate
bench. Appellate benches aren’t a lot of fun.
Hughes: You’re not the first person I’ve heard say that. You’d think that with all the marble
and the pomp and circumstance —
Dimmick: We’re still sitting there by ourselves in a cell writing opinions.
Hughes: Albeit a pretty nice cell. I was in Justice Madsen’s office and it’s very comfy.
Dimmick: I haven’t been down there since they’ve remodeled.
Hughes: Oh they’re nice offices. She’s got oak and leather. But not as nice as this, with
your stunning view of Puget Sound.
So tell us about your appointment to the U.S. District Court. How does this come
about?
Dimmick: Strangely. I’m running for re-election for the Supreme Court, a statewide
election in 1984. First time I’d had a campaign against me. We all fly up to Bellingham or
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