One period finished and yet another started Monday in Pitkin County Courtroom as Choose Erin Fernandez-Ely handed the baton to Decide Ashley Andrews.
Ninth Judicial District Courtroom Chief Decide James Boyd introduced Andrews, 36, with a plaque of the “new judge’s creed” about midday in the District Courtroom, then officially swore her into place of work prior to Andrews’ mom assisted her into her black judicial gown for the very first time.
“Judge Ely actually was an inspiration for me in this position,” Andrews said to a little viewers of household, good friends and expert colleagues. She praised Fernandez-Ely’s “compassion, endurance and willingness to believe outside the box” during her 21 years on the bench and claimed she had “enormous sneakers to fill.”
On the lookout on in the home had been former Pitkin County District Choose Gail Nichols, District Choose Chris Seldin, who changed Nichols, as effectively as Fernandez-Ely and Boyd. Other judges from the 9th Judicial District noticed the ceremony via Zoom, which includes District Judges Denise Lynch, John Neiley and Anne Norrdin, as properly as Garfield County Judges Paul Metzger and Jonathan Pototsky.
Andrews’ spouse, Kevin, also a lawyer her young daughter, Georgia her dad and mom her in-legal guidelines and a smattering of other individuals who work in the court system also attended Monday’s swearing-in.
“It only usually takes a instant to consider an oath, but it is a lifetime-shifting decision to do it,” Boyd mentioned. “She has the opportunity and duty to acknowledge … that she accepts the general public trust staying location with her now to comply with the rule of law.”
Andrews praised Fernandez-Ely — as well as her new colleagues in the 9th Judicial District — as judges who are in a position to “see men and women as much more than the worst point they’ve at any time finished.”
Andrews grew up in Oregon and Ohio and attended Penn State College just before relocating to Denver to participate in the Teach for The us application. After graduating from the University of Colorado Legislation University, she labored at the Denver Community Defender’s Business for six many years ahead of transferring to the Roaring Fork Valley in 2019 to perform for the Public Defender’s Business office centered in Glenwood Springs.
She and her loved ones are living in Snowmass Village.
Fernandez-Ely officially retired Friday immediately after additional than two a long time on the bench. She has been credited with building packages to deal with substance abuse and mental wellbeing in defendants, as properly as partnering with legislation enforcement and other pieces of the prison justice program to support persons obtain accessibility to rehabilitation and stop cycles of habit and criminal offense.
Andrews has mentioned she needs to proceed Fernandez-Ely’s legacy of serving to men and women escape the prison justice method.
Pitkin County Court handles all misdemeanor circumstances, which consists of domestic violence, drunken driving, minimal assaults and site visitors infractions. Andrews’ to start with working day on the bench is Tuesday, when she will manage the court’s frequent weekly docket for the initial time.
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