County observes changing of Superior Court judicial guard

OKANOGAN – Christopher Culp officially brought the gavel down March 31 on his 35-year career as a District and later Superior Court judge on the Okanogan County bench. Culp, an Okanogan County native will be replaced by another native son, Robert Grim, a former District Court judge appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee last February. Grim was sworn in on March 25.
Culp was first elected District Court judge in 1986 replacing Gene McLean. As district judge Culp presided over jury trials, civil matters, protection orders, and misdemeanors. In 1991 he was appointed a commissioner of the Superior Court where he heard juvenile dependency, truancy, and paternity matters. Beginning in 2002 he sat as a pro tem judge for the Superior Court presiding over felony jury trials, and evidentiary hearings. Culp was appointed by former Governor Chris Gregoire in November 2011 to fill a newly created Superior Court position..
Judge Culp his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and completed his J.D. at Gonzaga University School of Law.
Judge Robert Grim
A graduate of Liberty Bell High School, Grim earned his bachelor’s degree at Washington State University in 2007. He was employed as an Okanogan County Sheriff’s deputy while he completed his law degree at Gonzaga University School of Law in 2012.
The Board of Okanogan County Commissioners appointed Grim to the bench in 2015 to replace the retired Heidi Smith. Grim served as an Okanogan County District Court judge until 2021, including a term as its presiding judge from 2019-2021.  Prior to joining the bench Grim served as a criminal defense attorney with Kottkamp & Yedinak, PLLC, in Wenatchee. Following his term as District Court judge Grim co-founded Kuehler & Grim, a Winthrop law firm, last June.
In a media statement announcing Grim’s appointment Gov. Inslee said: “Robert has deep roots in Okanogan County. He has also demonstrated a sound judicial temperament and fitness for the bench over his years in District Court,” said Inslee. “I expect that he will call on this judicial experience to smoothly transition to the Superior Court bench.”