Judge Basden Brazenly Presides Over Carl King Hearing Despite LDS Affiliation

Carl J. King, the 23-year-old Sequim man facing multiple felony charges related to the possession of child sexual abuse material, appeared in Clallam County Superior Court this afternoon.

Despite King’s ties to the Dungeness Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the proceeding was surprisingly presided over by Judge Brent Basden.

Judge Basden is currently at the center of an ongoing investigation by the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Multiple complaints allege that Basden operates a “closed-loop” justice system, weaponizing his courtroom to protect fellow LDS members from secular accountability.

Basden previously served as the Port Angeles Stake President, which maintains direct jurisdiction over the Dungeness Ward.

During today’s hearing, Judge Basden set King’s formal arraignment to be heard before Judge Elizabeth Stanley on Thursday at 1:00 PM.

Crucially, Basden made no changes to King’s conditions of release. King remains free on personal recognizance. Judge Stanley previously authorized that release during King’s initial appearance on April 24, outright denying the prosecution’s request that bail be set at $100,000 due to the severe nature of the charges.

Representation for the defendant remains in a state of transition.

Public defender Alex Stalker, who represented King during his preliminary appearance, noted to the court that he is unsure who will officially represent King on Thursday. However, Stalker confirmed that an attorney from the public defender’s office will be present for the formal arraignment.

With King remaining out of custody after a multi-year investigation involving dark web tracking and cryptocurrency tracing, and a judge with deep LDS ties briefly taking the reins of the proceeding, the trajectory of this case continues to be a critical test for judicial transparency in Clallam County.