State of Colorado: Governor Bill Ritter

Press Release- June 15, 2007

OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2007

Contact:
Wil Alston, 303.866.6323
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370

GOV. RITTER APPOINTS JUDGES IN 3 JUDICIAL DISTRICTS

Gov. Bill Ritter today announced he has appointed judges to the District Court benches in the 11th, 18th and 21st Judicial Districts around Colorado. The appointees are:

  • Stephen A. Groome of Bailey to the 11th Judicial District bench. The district covers Chaffee, Custer, Fremont and Park counties. Groome has served as the county attorney in Park County since 2002. From 1976 to 2002, he worked as a sole practitioner in private practice, as a staff attorney with the California Association of Realtors, and as in-house corporate counsel for a real estate investment and mortgage brokerage company in Newport Beach, Calif. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina in 1973 and his law degree from Southwestern University School of Law in 1976.

  • Jeffrey K. Holmes of Centennial to the 18th Judicial District bench. The district covers Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln counties. Holmes is currently a District Court magistrate assigned to juvenile cases. He has been a magistrate since 1997. Prior to that he operated his own private law practice. He received his bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University in 1975 and his law degree from the University of Texas in 1978.

  • Valerie Jo Robison of Fruita to the 21st Judicial District bench. The district covers Mesa County. Robison has been the Mesa County chief assistant county attorney since 1996. She is also the interim executive director for the Mesa County Department of Human Services. Robison previously worked for Dyer & Dilts in Cortez and as an associate for James R. Alvillar, Esq. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado in 1986 and her law degree from the University of Denver School of Law in 1991.
Each of the appointees brings "a wealth of legal experience, important familiarity with the judicial district, and a keen sense of fairness and balance to the administration of justice," Gov. Ritter said. The appointments fill judicial positions created by House Bill 07-1054. The initial term of office is a provisional term of approximately two years, and if retained by the voters, a term of six years.