The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington announces the selection of James Goeke as its next Magistrate Judge for the District.  The anticipated effective date for this appointment is November 1, 2021, immediately following the retirement of Magistrate Judge John Rodgers.  Magistrate Judge Goeke’s official duty station will be in Spokane, Washington, where he will hold and discharge the duties of his office for a term of eight (8) years.
 
James Goeke has most recently served as a Deputy Criminal Chief and Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington in Spokane.  Mr. Goeke maintains a diverse criminal caseload, including offenses involving computer hacking and cybercrime, crimes against children, financial fraud crimes, drug trafficking cases, and violent crime cases.  Mr. Goeke has been an Assistant United States Attorney for 18 years. 
 
Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Goeke was in private practice in Seattle, Washington and San Francisco, California.  He began his legal career as a law clerk for Senior Judge Wm. Fremming Nielsen in the Eastern District of Washington.  Mr. Goeke received his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington