Press release:

Judge Veronica A. Galvan has announced she will run to retain her position as Presiding Judge of Des Moines Municipal Court, a position she has held for six years. Judge Galvan was originally appointed in 2007 through a rigorous selection process out of a field of 41 applicants.

In her 11-year judicial career, Judge Galvan has presided over a broad range of cases, from traffic infractions to homicide allegations to complex licensing issues.

Judge Galvan graduated from the University of Washington School of Law in 1994. After graduation she accepted a position as an assistant city attorney with the City of Seattle. In this capacity she was a member of a unit specializing in the prosecution of domestic violence offenses, as well as elder and child abuse matters. Later, she served as prosecuting attorney for the City of Federal Way, where she continued to advocate on behalf of victims and to champion community safety.

As Presiding Judge in Des Moines, Judge Galvan has secured over $200,000 in grants to benefit the community. The grants helped to fund public defense services; secure a van for transporting prisoners to and from court; provide for security improvements to the courtroom; and obtain technology upgrades that resulted in efficiency and cost savings to the city.

“Public servants are stewards of the public trust and confidence,” says Judge Galvan. “I want to ensure that we use the limited resources we have in an efficient manner. As a leader of a court, a judge needs to be innovative in securing resources that will benefit the local community and reduce direct costs for our citizens.”

Additionally, Judge Galvan has used her bilingual skills to implement the only Spanish-language traffic court in the State of Washington, allowing the court to save interpretation costs.

Judge Galvan is a respected leader in the judicial community, serving on numerous boards and committees seeking to improve justice statewide. Her judicial colleagues elected her to serve on the board of the District and Municipal Court Judges Association, a statewide organization addressing local court policy concerns; she is board vice-president.

Judge Galvan was the first in her family to graduate from college. Her journey through public schools and universities has led her to work with school-age children. Judge Galvan has served on the board of SCORES, a local non-profit organization that promotes literacy and physical fitness for elementary-age children. She has hosted middle school students for mock trials and spoken with high school students locally and statewide about careers in the justice system and the importance of education.

“I was raised to believe that the word service is not a noun, but a verb. I have always believed that it is important to give back to the communities I serve. Working together, communities, no matter how small, can achieve great things,” says Judge Galvan, who has been a proud and active member of the Des Moines Rotary Club since 2008.

Judge Galvan is married to Alex Alicea, an Army veteran and junior varsity baseball coach for Chief Sealth International High School in Seattle. They have a daughter, Simone, a sophomore at Northwestern University in Chicago; and a son, Zane, a freshman at Chief Sealth International High School.

“I have been honored to serve the City of Des Moines,” says Judge Galvan. “Over my past six years here, I have built a proven record of experience, dedication, and knowledge. It would be my privilege to continue serving the people of this community.”