Hon. James R. Heller (Ret.) was a judge for the Pierce County District Court in Washington. He was appointed to the bench by the Pierce County Council in 1985 and was retained to the seat in subsequent elections. He filled the vacancy created by the passing of the Hon. Arthur Knodel (deceased). Heller retired in 2017.
Over the course of his judicial career, he held the position of presiding judge of the District Court for multiple terms and was an instructor at the National Judicial College and the Washington State Judicial College.
He received a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa in 1968. Heller then completed a J.D. at the University of Puget Sound School of Law in 1974.
He served in the United States Air Force from 1969 to 1973
Prior to joining the bench, Heller had worked as a private practice attorney since 1975.
His memberships included the Washington State District and Municipal Court Judges Association (board member) and the American Inn of Court. In addition, Heller was a member of the Washington State Supreme Court Judicial Information System Committee and the Tacoma Public Utility Board.