April 4, 2024

Snohomish County Superior Court

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Whitney Rivera to the Snohomish County Superior Court. She will replace Judge Anita Farris, who will retire from the bench effective April 30. In November 2020, Rivera was appointed to serve as the sole municipal court judge for Edmonds Municipal Court. She successfully ran for a four-year term in 2021 to retain her seat. As the Edmonds Municipal Court Presiding Judge, Rivera is responsible for hearing all criminal matters, traffic infractions, and administrative appeals, as well as for leading the management of the court's operations. Prior to her current position as a judicial officer, Rivera served as a public defender with the Snohomish County Public Defender Association for over 12 years. Rivera also served as an attorney for the Washington Appellate Project, representing indigent individuals on their direct appeals from convictions. Since 2021, Rivera has served on the Edmonds College Foundation Board where she has focused her volunteer efforts on student scholarships and staff grant requests. In 2022, she was appointed to the board of the Hazel Miller Foundation, which provides grants to organizations focused on a broad range of services, including education, youth services, diversity, and poverty alleviation. In 2023, she was appointed to the board of the Edmonds Food Bank. Rivera earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Washington. She earned her law degree from Boston College Law School.