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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
A lawyer for the toughest cases
Straight-forward
legal advocate
for criminals
By ANDREW BINION
Kitsap Sun
BREMERTON, Wash. —
When dealing with killers,
the best piece of advice Roger
Hunko ever received was upon
fi rst meeting them, look for
something you like about them.
For Hunko, 70, the venera-
ble Kitsap County defense attor-
ney whose expertise on death
penalty trials involved him in
some of the more notable and
heinous Washington state cases
through the past three decades,
it was usually easy.
“I look at people and I like
them,” said Hunko, who is retir-
ing after fi rst being licensed
in Washington state in 1979.
“Although I never expected to
know as many murderers as I
do.”
Hunko had been co-counsel
on the case of Gabriel Gaeta,
charged in the 2014 rape and
murder of 6-year-old Jenise
Wright, but he was released at
his own request. Last month the
state Supreme Court ruled on
another of his cases, and he has
one more hearing, a sentencing
for a drug case.
Larry Steagall/Kitsap Sun
Roger Hunko, a longtime Kitsap County defense attor-
ney and death penalty opponent, poses for a photo in his
backyard on Lake Tahuya, Wash.
still drunk,” Hunko said.
He estimated that he had
been on about 30 aggravated
murder cases, and of the death
penalty cases he took, only one
client was condemned to die —
Robert Lee Yates, convicted in
2002 of murdering two women
in Pierce County and number
fi ve of eight on the state’s death
row.
real plans at all except to close
on the sale of his home and roam
the country in a 24-foot RV with
his wife, Kathleen, and their two
dogs, Olive and Twinks.
“Just going to go, gypsy
life,” Hunko said. “I like not
having a plan.”
For somebody known
almost as much for his skill as
an attorney as his mellow, lik-
able demeanor, it may be the
most fi tting retirement. After
all, Hunko took the law school
entrance exam on a whim, after
a night of drinking tequila and
playing dice, only to score in the
top 9 percent in the country.
“I wasn’t hung over, I was
Roam the country
After that, he has no plans to
practice again. In fact, he has no
Straight-forward
Those who worked for him
at his fi rm in Port Orchard,
and those who argued against
him in cases where the stakes
couldn’t be higher, said Hunko
was a straight-forward advo-
FIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR ASTORIA
TONIGHT
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
63
55
47
Mostly cloudy
68
54
Mostly cloudy
Sun and clouds
TUESDAY
68
55
63
51
Times of clouds and sun
cate — professional and pas-
sionate — but never under-
handed or abrasive. He lifted
weights competently in his
younger days and wears loud
shirts, but he is not known for
fl amboyance.
“He really practiced from
the heart,” said Kevin Kelly,
now chief deputy prosecutor in
Kitsap County District Court.
In 1996, Kelly was one of the
prosecutors who argued against
Hunko in Kitsap County’s last
death penalty trial, the case of
Steven R. Morgan.
Tina Robinson, Kitsap
County prosecutor, was hired
by Hunko in 2006 for her fi rst
job out of law school. She said
he taught her to love her job as
a defense attorney and how to
relate to clients as people.
“He will fi ght till the end for
his clients,” she said. “He is a
great guy with a great heart and
he is a very good attorney.”
Born in Brooklyn, New
York, on the Fourth of July,
Hunko was a twin. His brother,
Robert, died as an infant. He
was raised in New Jersey and
served four years in the U.S.
Air Force before roaming the
country in a Volkswagen bus.
He eventually made his way
to Pocatello, Idaho, where he
went to college, majoring in
history, and he later decided to
give law school a shot. He says
now that at the time, he didn’t
know what lawyers actually
did.
He attributes his success
to his time spent working as
a bartender, where he became
a student of human nature, as
well as his love of puzzles. In
ways, working a case is like
solving a puzzle, he said.
Submitted Photo
A Seaside woman was killed Saturday in a car crash.
Astoria man
indicted for
manslaughter
in fatal crash
The Daily Astorian
An Astoria man involved
in a fatal crash last weekend
was indicted Thursday for
manslaughter.
Christopher
Jeremy
Costa, 23, has been indicted
for manslaughter, driving
under the infl uence of intox-
icants and reckless driving.
He allegedly crossed the
center line of U.S. High-
way 101 near Cullaby Lake
just before 2:30 a.m. Sat-
urday. His 1984 Chevro-
let pickup truck collided
head-on with a 2001 Toyota
Camry. Kayla Lynn Weber,
27, of Seaside, was driv-
ing the Camry and died as
a result of the crash .
Costa was able to escape
his truck, which had caught
fi re. Costa had been receiv-
ing treatment for serious
injuries after being taken
by Life Flight to Legacy
Emanuel Medical Center in
Portland. The east side of
the highway was closed for
4½ hours after the crash .
A warrant was issued
today for Costa’s arrest,
and security has been set at
$500,000.
Low clouds
OBITUARIES
ALMANAC
Tillamook
46/65
June 23
Coos Bay
53/68
Full
June 30
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
TOMORROW'S TIDES
Astoria / Port Docks
Time
1:40 a.m.
1:40 p.m.
Low
2.5 ft.
0.8 ft.
City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Denver
Des Moines
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Honolulu
Indianapolis
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Memphis
Miami
Nashville
New Orleans
New York
Oklahoma City
Philadelphia
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Francisco
Seattle
Washington, DC
Klamath Falls
44/79
Lakeview
45/80
Ashland
54/83
REGIONAL CITIES
City
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Eugene
Ilwaco
Klamath Falls
Medford
Newberg
Newport
North Bend
Hi
62
62
63
67
60
74
77
68
60
65
Today
Lo
39
42
54
48
49
44
57
49
48
54
W
r
c
c
c
c
pc
pc
sh
sh
c
Hi
72
76
66
77
60
79
85
73
63
68
Sat.
Lo
45
50
56
51
55
47
59
55
51
54
W
pc
s
s
pc
c
pc
pc
pc
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City
Olympia
Pendleton
Portland
Roseburg
Salem
Seaside
Spokane
Springfi eld
Vancouver
Yakima
Hi
68
69
67
71
67
61
67
67
66
74
Today
Lo
43
47
52
54
51
48
45
51
49
43
W
sh
r
sh
c
sh
sh
sh
sh
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c
Hi
68
75
73
82
75
62
70
78
71
78
Sat.
Lo
53
55
58
56
54
55
53
52
56
52
W
c
pc
pc
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TOMORROW'S NATIONAL WEATHER
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Hi Lo
85 71
67 61
88 69
93 60
89 70
86 69
104 72
68 54
86 73
88 69
92 74
107 81
90 65
94 77
86 76
91 71
89 75
72 67
98 76
82 70
88 75
92 63
74 58
68 48
84 73
Burns
39/74
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017
Tonight's Sky: Vega, of Lyra, is the brightest star of
the Summer Triangle, which is in view all night.
High
6.8 ft.
7.7 ft.
Ontario
49/78
Roseburg
54/82
Brookings
53/69
July 8
Baker
39/72
John Day
45/74
Bend
42/76
Medford
57/85
UNDER THE SKY
Time
7:16 a.m.
8:25 p.m.
Prineville
41/77
Lebanon
50/77
Eugene
48/77
Sunset tonight ........................... 9:09 p.m.
Sunrise Saturday ........................ 5:23 a.m.
Moonrise today ........................... 1:07 a.m.
Moonset today ......................... 12:23 p.m.
June 17
La Grande
44/72
Salem
51/75
Newport
48/63
SUN AND MOON
First
Pendleton
47/75
The Dalles
53/80
Portland
52/73
Precipitation
Thursday .......................................... 1.26"
Month to date ................................... 2.25"
Normal month to date ....................... 1.49"
Year to date .................................... 49.38"
Normal year to date ........................ 34.85"
New
Astoria
Sept. 12, 1944 — June 13, 2017
Shown is tomorrow's weather. Temperatures are tonight's lows and tomorrow's highs.
ASTORIA
47/63
Astoria through Thursday.
Temperatures
High/low ....................................... 59°/53°
Normal high/low ........................... 64°/50°
Record high ............................ 81° in 1961
Record low ............................. 41° in 1959
Last
Donna Mae (Beckwith) Buckman
REGIONAL WEATHER
W
t
r
t
pc
t
pc
s
pc
pc
pc
pc
s
s
t
t
t
pc
sh
pc
sh
pc
s
s
c
t
Sat.
Hi Lo
88 73
77 67
86 67
87 53
85 62
86 71
105 74
67 52
87 75
89 73
94 65
109 85
88 64
95 78
88 77
93 74
89 76
78 70
99 71
86 72
96 73
82 59
76 61
69 55
85 74
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
W
t
pc
t
pc
t
t
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Donna Mae (Beckwith) Buckman passed great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her
away peacefully at home on June 13, 2017. brother, Jim, and sister-in-law, Lorelei Beck-
She was born Sept. 12, 1944, in Astoria, Ore- with, of Brownsmead, Oregon.
Donna loved to play cards. She was very
gon. Donna was the daughter of Don Beckwith,
crafty, creating beautiful oil paint-
Maymie Phillips and Don Phillips.
ings and ceramics. She loved to knit
They preceded her in death.
and made outfi ts and blankets for
Donna was married 56 years to
all her children, grandchildren and
her loving husband, Joseph (Paul)
great-grandchildren.
Buckman. They have three daugh-
She will be greatly missed. She
ters: her eldest daughter, Sandra,
was happiest when she was sur-
and her son-in-law, Brian Emrick,
rounded by her family, friends and
of Clatskanie, Oregon; her mid-
her two dogs.
dle daughter, Terri, and her son-in-
Visitation will be held Friday,
law, Bob Killion, of Spokane, Wash-
June 16, 2017, from 1 to 5 p.m., and
ington; and her youngest daughter,
Dawnya, and her son-in-law, Dave Donna Buckman Saturday, June 17, from 9 to 11 a.m.
at Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortu-
Lucas, of Marina, California.
ary, 1165 Franklin Ave. Funeral ser-
She has nine grandchildren: Tim
McDonald and his fi ancée, Shalana Harrison, vices are at noon Saturday, also at Caldwell’s
Kris McDonald and her fi ancé, Keaton Crepe, Luce-Layton Mortuary, followed by graveside
and Darren Emrick, all of Clatskanie, Oregon, services at Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton.
Memorial contributions may be given to the
Michelle and her husband, Alex Seguin, of
Lynnwood, Washington, Lindsay and her hus- National Kidney Foundation at www.kidney.
band, Dustin Funderburk, of Spokane, Wash- org
Please sign the online guest book at www.
ington, and Daniel, Rebekkah, Larken and
Trinity Lucas of Marina, California; and eight caldwellsmortuary.com
DEATH
LOTTERIES
June 15, 2017
BEESTON, Diane Sis-
tere, 87, of Astoria, died
in Astoria.
Caldwell’s
Luce-Layton Mortuary is in
charge of the arrangements.
OREGON
Thursday’s Pick 4:
1 p.m.: 2-9-9-0
4 p.m.: 8-8-1-8
7 p.m.: 5-2-7-0
10 p.m.: 7-4-1-7
Offi ce on the 90100 block
of Oregon Highway 202
for fourth-degree assault,
harassment and strangula-
tion. He allegedly assaulted
his girlfriend.
WASHINGTON
Thursday’s Daily Game: 1-0-5
Thursday’s Keno: 04-06-08-11-
18-19-21-24-28-34-40-47-48-49-
50-59-74-76-77-78
Thursday’s Match 4: 02-12-
14-22
ON THE RECORD
Assault
• At 11:14 a.m. Thurs-
day, Marc Anthony Cas-
telamare, 21, of Asto-
ria, was arrested by the
Clatsop County Sheriff’s
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy,
sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow fl urries,
sn-snow, i-ice.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
MONDAY
Astoria City Council, 7 p.m.,
City Hall, 1095 Duane St.
$
NEA
TUESDAY
Cannon Beach Public Works
Committee, 9 a.m., City Hall,
163 E. Gower St.
Sunset Empire Parks and Rec
95
NOW
$
L ADIES SIZES 6-11
• F ULL L EATHER U PPER
• S OFT C USHION I NSOLE
• B ACK H EEL Z IPPER
• A LSO IN B LACK
80
District, 4 p.m., 1225 Ave. A,
Seaside.
Clatsop County Human
Services Advisory Council, 4
to 5:30 p.m., 800 Exchange St.,
Room 430.
Seaside School District, 6
p.m., 1810 S. Franklin, Seaside.
Port of Astoria Commission,
The Daily Astorian
Established July 1, 1873
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