Jefferson County Superior Court
     P.O. Box 1220
     Port Townsend, WA 98368
     (360) 385-9125
 

Born in Richmond, Virginia on June 12, 1949.

Education:

1971 Bachelor of Arts in Economics
University of Virginia

1973 Master's Degree in Education
University of Virginia

1979 Juris Doctoris (Doctor of Law)
Gonzaga Law School graduated cum laude

1980 Admitted to Washington State Bar

Experience:

1971 - 1977 Junior High Teacher. Taught eighth grade math and science in Louisa County, Virginia.

1980 - 1984 Private Practice. Sole practitioner in Deer Park, Washington. Employed part-time as an assistant public defender for Pend Oreille and Stevens Counties, and municipal public defender for the City of Deer Park. Represented clients charged with a wide variety of felony and misdemeanor offenses and represented clients in civil matters, including bankruptcies, personal injury claims, real estate closings and disputes, domestic relations, contract disputes, and debt collection.

1984 -1986 Joined a two-lawyer firm in Sunnyside, Washington. The firm represented agricultural interests regarding labor disputes, water rights issues, contract litigation, product liability, and crop security agreements. The firm also represented clients in criminal matters, domestic relations, personal injury, and general civil litigation.

1986 - 1991 Clallam-Jefferson Public Defender. Represented indigent adults charged with felonies in Jefferson County, juvenile offenders, parents in dependency proceedings, and some district court defendants.

1991 - 1998 Attorney for Port of Port Townsend. Attended all Port Commissioner meetings and advised the Commissioners on contract, real property, and employment related matters. Assisted in union negotiations, consulted with bond counsel on various construction projects, and successfully defended one Port Commissioner against a recall effort. With the adoption of the Growth Management Act he worked with counsel for the City of Port Townsend and Jefferson County regarding designations of Port-owned real estate and advised the Commissioners about compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act and the Public Disclosure Act.

1991 - 2002 Part time Clallam-Jefferson Public Defender. Limited to representation of adults charged with felonies.

1991 - 2002 Private Practice. Represented clients in all areas of general civil and criminal practice, including family law, real property contracts, probate disputes, personal injury, felony and misdemeanor representation.

2002 - 2004 Verser & Bierbaum. Practiced with his law partner, Peggy Ann Bierbaum, and an associate attorney, Molly Mulvaney. The law firm provided representation in all areas of general practice, juvenile matters, real estate, landlord-tenant, and appellate practice. He represented all of the firm's clients charged with criminal offenses, as well as a large portion of the firm's civil clients. He served as the firm's lead attorney in all complex civil and domestic litigation.

2004 to Present  Jefferson County Superior Court Judge.
Judge Verser is a married father of  two adult daughters. He lives in Port Townsend with his wife, Joyce. He is an avid golfer, a member of the Kiwanis and Elks, and a frequent sponsor of youth athletic programs. He serves on the Washington State Board of Bar Examiners and for the past twenty years has been one of twenty-four lawyers in the State to prepare and grade the annual summer examination. He has written and graded bar examination questions related to criminal procedure, substantive criminal law, constitutional law, professional responsibility, family law, torts, landlord-tenant, and civil trial procedure.