WHEREAS, Salvatore (Sam) F. Cozza has passed away following a combined 26 years of distinguished service as a judge on the Spokane County Superior Court and District Court benches; and

WHEREAS, Before embarking on a career in law, Judge Cozza attended Gonzaga Preparatory School, continued his Jesuit education at Gonzaga University graduating with a degree in history, and was a loyal and ardent Zags fan; and

WHEREAS, Following graduation from the University of Washington School of Law, Judge Cozza served as a Spokane County deputy prosecutor for 10 years, during which time he married his wife, Megan at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Spokane; and

WHEREAS, In 1990, Judge Cozza ran and was elected to the Spokane County District Court bench; in 1996, he ran and was elected to the Spokane County Superior Court bench, a position he held for the remainder of his life; and, beginning in 2014, Judge Cozza served as presiding judge for three years; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his outstanding reputation as a legal professional, Judge Cozza was proud of his Italian Heritage, a dedicated husband, son, friend, and father to his three children, as well as a faithful Catholic; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Judge Cozza served as chair of the Superior Court Judges' Association's Criminal Law & Rules Committee, as a member of the Superior Court Judges' Association's Legislative Committee, as a former member of the Board of Governors for the District & Municipal Court Judges' Association, former chair of the Court Rules Committee of the District & Municipal Court Judges' Association, and as a member of the Time for Trial Task Force; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of his career, Judge Cozza embodied the words displayed on his bench: "Attentiveness, Patience, Fairness, Completeness – Don't rush the process or the decision;"

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor the life of Judge Salvatore (Sam) F. Cozza, and recognize his outstanding career and dedication to the communities he served.

I, Hunter G. Goodman, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8656,

adopted by the Senate

April 18, 2017

HUNTER G. GOODMAN

Secretary of the Senate