Kea W. Riggs

Kea Lynn Whetzal Riggs (born 1965) is an American attorney and jurist serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico.

Kea W. Riggs
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
Assumed office
December 31, 2019
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byChristina Armijo
Judge of the Fifth Judicial District Court of New Mexico
In office
August 8, 2014 – December 31, 2019
Appointed bySusana Martinez
Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
In office
April 13, 2001 – August 8, 2014
Personal details
Born
Kea Lynn Whetzal

1965 (age 57–58)
Midwest City, Oklahoma, U.S.
SpouseStanton Riggs
Children2
EducationUniversity of Oklahoma (BBA, JD)

Education

Riggs was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma and her Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.[1]

Career

Riggs worked in private practice with Sanders, Bruin, Coll, & Worley in Roswell, New Mexico, and served the State of New Mexico as a senior trial prosecutor, children's court attorney, and Assistant District Attorney.[1]

State court service

She was appointed a judge of the Fifth Judicial District Court of New Mexico by Governor Susana Martinez on August 8, 2014.[1] Her service on the state district court, which covers the southeastern corner of the state,[2] terminated on December 31, 2019, when she received her commission as a federal judge.

Magistrate judge

Riggs served as a United States magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, a position she was appointed to on April 13, 2001, and left on August 8, 2014, upon becoming a state district judge.[3][4]

District court

On May 3, 2019, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Riggs to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. On May 13, 2019, her nomination was sent to the Senate to the seat vacated by Judge Christina Armijo, who assumed senior status on February 7, 2018.[5] On June 26, 2019, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[6] On July 18, 2019, her nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote.[7] On December 18, 2019, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 92–1 vote.[8] On December 19, 2019, her nomination was confirmed by a 94–0 vote.[9] She received her judicial commission on December 31, 2019[10] and was sworn in by Senior Judge Bobby Baldock later that day.[11]

Academics

She was an adjunct professor at Eastern New Mexico State University–Roswell from 2001 to 2002, 2008 to 2009, and 2012 to 2014. She was adjunct professor at New Mexico Highlands University–Roswell from 2006 to 2009 and again in 2011.[11]

Personal life

She is married to Stanton Riggs, also an attorney. They have two children.[3]

References
  1. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees, United States Attorney Nominee, and United States Marshal Nominees – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  2. "New Mexico Fifth Judicial District Court".
  3. "NMMI" (PDF). cub.nmmi.edu. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  4. "Magistrate Judges District of New Mexico". Tenth Circuit Historical Society. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  5. "Twelve Nominations Sent to the Senate – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  6. "Nominations | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary". www.judiciary.senate.gov. June 26, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  7. "Results of Executive Business Meeting – July 18, 2019, Senate Judiciary Committee" (PDF). Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  8. "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Kea Whetzal Riggs to be U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico)". www.senate.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  9. "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Kea Whetzal Riggs, of New Mexico, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico)". www.senate.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  10. Kea W. Riggs at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  11. "Judge Kea Riggs Fills a Vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico". www.nmd.uscourts.gov. Albuquerque, New Mexico: United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. December 31, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
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