The Honorable Pattie P. Swift, Chief Judge for Colorado’s 12th Judicial District, will give the commencement address at Adams State University’s fall commencement ceremony. The event begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 16, in the university’s Plachy Hall, Alamosa. Adams State will award 105 associate’s degrees and 106 bachelor’s degrees.
Judge Swift is one of three nominees for an open position on the Colorado Supreme Court.She recently received the Judicial Excellence Award from the Colorado Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates for service protecting and furthering the right to trial by jury. In 2011, Crossroads Turning Points, Inc., presented her the Robert A. Rael Community Service of the Year Award, which recognized her for establishing drug court and accessing sentence alternatives in the San Luis Valley.
Swift was sworn in as a District Judge in 2003 and in 2011 was named Chief Judge for the 12th Judicial District and Water Judge for Water Division 3. She previously served as Acting Water Referee and as Presiding Judge for the 12th Judicial District Family Drug Court. She was also previously Costilla County Judge and Municipal Judge for the Town of San Luis, Colo.
Swift currently sits on the 12th Judicial District Best Practices Court Team and the Colorado Bail and Pretrial Committee. She also serves on the San Luis Valley Community Corrections Board. She recently concluded service on the Executive Oversight Committee of the Dependency and Neglect Statewide System Reform (DANSR) and on the Colorado Supreme Court Panel on Multi-District Litigation. Other law-related boards and committees she has served on include the Colorado Judicial Ethics Advisory Board, which she chaired for eight years, the Supreme Court Standing Committee on Family Issues, and the Colorado County Judges Association, serving one term as president.
Swift holds a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s College in Santa Fe and a Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Law.
At the commencement ceremony, Cleave Simpson, chair of the Adams State Board of Trustees, will deliver the welcome from the board. Dr. Matthew Valverde, assistant professor of music, will lead the singing of the Alma Mater accompanied on piano by Dr. William Lipke, professor of music. Del Norte native Taylor Trujillo will speak on behalf of the graduating class.
