Posted by: thepinetree on 02/14/2014 11:12 AM
Updated by: thepinetree on 02/14/2014 11:32 AM
Expires: 01/01/2019 12:00 AM
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Judge Swift Officially Kicks Off Campaign With Event At Newsome Harlow
Murphys, CA....We are now entering the core of our local election season. As an example was the festive and elegant affair to kick off the election campaign for Judge Hugh Swift. The recently seated jurist now has to roll up his robe sleeves and earn the votes from our local voters to continue his service to the area. Governor Brown led with his vote of confidence when he appointed Judge Swift. Many in the community stopped by to show their support and volunteer to work on his campaign and contribute...
Photos Above and Video Below
Below is his Bio from his campaign website...
"Over the past 28 years, Judge Hugh K. Swift has demonstrated a commitment to the legal profession, the California court system and to his community. He currently serves as Superior Court Judge for Calaveras County, where he is a longtime resident. Judge Swift possesses the qualifications, experience and temperament which uniquely qualify him for this position. He is endorsed by Superior Court Judges in Calaveras, Amador and Tuolumne Counties.
Judge Swift was born and raised in Southern California, where he graduated from West Covina High School. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego, and then attended California Western Law School. He graduated in 1985 and passed the California bar exam the same year.
Judge Swift began his legal career as an attorney in private practice. For 12 years, he practiced primarily in the area of civil litigation. During that time, Judge Swift defended clients in cases involving personal injury, real estate disputes, construction defects and premise liability claims. He was an attorney of record in over a hundred lawsuits, filed and opposed numerous motions, took and/or defended hundreds of depositions, represented clients at arbitrations, mediations, judicially supervised settlement conferences, trials (both bench and jury trials) and on appeal. He appeared before judges in California trial and appellate courts, as well as in United States District Court, Southern District.
hugh-swift-swear-inIn 1999, Judge Swift moved to Calaveras County after he accepted a job as a research attorney for the judges of the Amador County Superior Court. In this role, he reviewed and researched legal issues in almost every type of case filed with court. He researched and wrote legal memoranda in criminal, civil, probate, family law and habeas corpus matters. Judge Swift also established written procedures for the clerk’s office, represented court management during labor negotiations and heard small claims cases as a Judge Pro Tem, gaining valuable experience on the bench.
In 2004, he was promoted to the position of Court Executive Officer (CEO). As CEO he was responsible oversight of the court’s non-judicial operations including the fiscal, budget, facilities, information technology and personnel functions. Judge Swift was the Court’s liaison with local and state agencies. He represented the court in discussions and meetings with county administration, the district attorney, sheriff, probation, child protective services, and state agencies such as the Administrative Office of the Courts and State Auditor. As part of Judge Swift’s CEO duties, he also served as the Clerk of the Court and Jury Commissioner.
In 2006, the judges in Amador County appointed Judge Swift to the position of Superior Court Commissioner. As a Commissioner, he primarily presided as a Judge Pro Tem at hearings to establish, modify and enforce child support orders. Typically, these cases would also involve other legal issues such as paternity, visitation, custody and enforcement of interstate orders for child support. During this period of time, Judge Swift attended various trainings offered by the Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER), including New Judges Orientation, Judicial College, the annual Child Support Commissioners Conference and annual Family Law Institute. These trainings are conducted by California judges for California judges.
In May 2008, Chief Justice Ronald George, appointed Judge Swift to the Elkins Family Task Force. The task force was asked to study and propose how to help family law courts achieve efficiency and fairness and ensure access to justice for all litigants, including the self-represented. In 2010, the task force issued a report that made more than 100 recommendations to increase family court fairness. Many of these recommendations were enacted as laws. Courts and judges now have a greater ability to manage family law cases so they can be resolved in the most appropriate and efficient manner possible.
hugh-swift-about2Judge Swift held the positions of both CEO and Commissioner in Amador from April 2006 to September 2011, when the judges in Calaveras County appointed him CEO. In addition to overseeing the non-judicial operations of the court while the CEO in Calaveras, Judge Swift:
Served as the primary court contact during the construction of the new 44,000 sq. ft. Calaveras County Courthouse, as well as the relocation of court operations to the new facility in November 2013. The new courthouse includes four (4) courtrooms, with state of the art audio-visual systems, a larger and more functional self-help center and a jury assembly room. The new Courthouse is safe, secure and accessible to all residents of Calaveras County.
Obtained a $50,000 grant from the State Justice Institute to develop a strategic plan for an integrated justice information system in Calaveras County. Strategic plan participants included the County of Calaveras, the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department and District Attorney, as well as the Angels Camp Police Department and CalWorks. The plan provides the framework for a system which will increase public safety though more efficient exchange of information between justice partners.
Worked in collaboration with five other trial courts to purchase a new case management system to replace the Court’s current system, which is obsolete. The collaborative approach will significantly reduce the cost of the new system. Perhaps more importantly, improvements in case management technology will allow parties and their attorneys to electronically file papers with the court, provide the ability to obtain case information and documents online and to pay fines and fees without a visit to the court. This new case management system will also allow court personnel to become more efficient and to “do more with less”, which is necessary after years of reductions in the Court’s budget.
Served as the presiding judge’s designee on the AB 109 Community Corrections Partnership.
Chaired the California Trial Court Consortium, a group of court professionals from 25 small to medium-sized trial courts in Northern California, formed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of court administration through collaboration and advocacy efforts.
Swift, who lives in Angels Camp, has two daughters, ages 14 and 11. He is a founding board member of the Mind Matters Clinic in Murphys, which provides a range of services to children and families impacted by autism spectrum disorders, ADHD and learning disabilities. He was one of the original partners in Newsome-Harlow Wines, located in Murphys. Judge Swift is also a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Judge Swift enjoys spending time hiking, hunting, horse-riding and watching his daughters dance and play soccer.
In December 2013, after extensive review of his background and qualifications by the California State Bar’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE) and the Governor’s Office, Judge Swift was appointed to the Calaveras Superior Court. Currently, Judge Swift presides in Department 2, where he hears infractions, family law, civil, probate, domestic violence and civil harassment cases. "
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