Federal Judge Richard A. Jones to address Saint Martin’s class of 2008
Distinguished Saint Martin’s High School alumnus ‘exemplifies SMU mission’
March 13, 2008
Lacey, Washington — The Honorable Richard A. Jones
will deliver the commencement address to the Saint Martin’s University
class of 2008, University President Douglas M. Astolfi announced this
morning. Jones, a 1968 graduate of Saint Martin’s High School and 2006
recipient of the SMU Distinguished Alumni Award, currently serves as a
United States District Court Judge for the Western District of
Washington in Seattle.
“Judge Jones will be sending our graduates into the
world with a powerful message — a message that resonates with the spirit
of this institution,” said Astolfi. “Having received a Saint Martin’s
education himself, Judge Jones exemplifies our mission to ‘prepare
students for active, responsible and productive lives in their
professions and as members of the local and global community.’ His
contributions inside and outside the courtroom reflect a depth of
character that we strive to cultivate within our own campus community.”
Jones’ appointment to the federal judiciary in
October 2007 marks the latest milestone in an illustrious career. After
receiving his high school diploma from Saint Martin’s, he earned a B.A.
in public affairs from Seattle University and a J.D. from the University
of Washington School of Law. Jones then worked as a staff attorney for
the Port of Seattle, an associate with Seattle-based law firm Bogle &
Gates, a deputy prosecutor for King County and an assistant United
States attorney for the Western District of Washington before being
appointed to the King County Superior Court bench in 1994.
While on the state bench, he presided over several
high-profile criminal cases, most notably the 2003 trial of serial
killer Gary Leon Ridgway, known as the “Green River Killer.” SMU
Chancellor Abbot Neal Roth, O.S.B., who taught Jones in high school, is
proud of the way his former pupil handled the trial. “He demonstrated so
many of the Benedictine values that guide us here at Saint Martin’s,”
says Roth. “He was conscientious, thorough and fair, and his sense of
dignity and compassion set a high standard of decency throughout the
proceedings.”
Jones has received countless accolades for his work
as a lawyer and judge. In 2004, following the Ridgway trial, he was the
recipient of Judge of the Year awards from the Washington State Bar
Association, the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, the Asian
Bar Association of Washington State and the King County Bar Association.
He also has received the Washington State Bar Association’s Special
Recognition Award and the King County Bar Association’s Affirmative
Action Award. In 2001, he was presented with the prestigious Outstanding
Achievement Award by the Loren Miller Bar Association, which supports
the social and economic well-being of its predominately African-American
members.
Beyond the courtroom, Jones is well known for his
commitment to education, community service and civic activities. He
frequently lectures at regional legal education programs and has been an
instructor at the United States Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute,
the Executive Office of the United States Attorney in Washington, D.C.,
and the Washington State Judicial College, where he served as Dean in
1997 and 1998. Judge Jones is also a faculty member at the National
Judicial College and the National Center for Courts and Media. He serves
on several boards and committees, including the Seattle University Board
of Regents, the University of Washington Law School Advisory Committee
and the board of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, and has been active in
programs honoring Thurgood Marshall and Brown v. Board of Education.
Outside of Judge Jones’ extraordinary professional
and civic life, he has the distinction of being the brother of musician
and producer Quincy Jones.
Saint Martin’s University will hold commencement
ceremonies for its 416-member class of 2008 on Saturday, May 10, at 2
p.m. in Saint Martin’s Pavilion, 5300 Pacific Ave. SE, Lacey. A
reception hosted by the Alumni Association follows in the Norman
Worthington Center.
Saint Martin’s University is an independent
four-year, Catholic, coeducational university located on a 320-acre
wooded campus in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic
Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 18 Benedictine
colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only
one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares
students for successful lives through its 21 majors and six graduate
programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering.
Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250 students from many ethnic and religious
backgrounds to its main campus, and 650 more to its five extension
campuses located at Fort Lewis Army Post, McChord Air Force Base,
Olympic College, Centralia College and Tacoma Community College.
For additional information:
Jennifer G. Fellinger
Director of Communications
Saint Martin’s University
360-438-4332
jfellinger@stmartin.edu