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.