COEUR d'ALENE - Swearing in and putting on his black robe for the first time publicly, newly appointed 1st District Court Judge Richard S. Christensen on Friday pledged to honor the sacred trust granted by the public to dispense justice.

Sounding a lot like the man he is replacing, now-retired District Court Judge John Luster, Christensen said, "This may be the courtroom I am assigned, but this is not my courtroom."

It belongs to the people, he said, speaking at his swearing-in ceremony at the old Kootenai County Courthouse building.

He promised to serve the public, and maintain the perspective that there are no small cases or decisions. He will always work to be prepared, gracious, deliberate, and respectful of the lawyers and clients who come before him.

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter chose Christensen last month. Friends said becoming a judge has been a lifelong quest.

Christensen is a New Jersey native who received his bachelor's degree from Colorado State University and his law degree from the University of Idaho.

He was a prosecutor in Boise County, practiced law in Grangeville and Boise, was a deputy Idaho attorney general, a Benewah County prosecutor, and worked in private practice in St. Maries.

"As an attorney, Rich has had a very diverse practice," said District Court Judge John Mitchell, who is a longtime friend. "Diverse both as to the type of work that he's done and to the geography that he's covered."

He said that diversity will benefit him on the bench.

Andrew Smythe, a Spokane attorney and longtime friend of Christensen, said, "Rich is a person who doesn't follow the herd, but follows his own path and sees the beauty and interest and merit in persons, places and things that others might rush by."

Smythe said those characteristics will continue to serve Christensen well.

"I think that the best judges do not do what the herd tells them to do," Smythe said. "They look at things, listen to things, are interested, and then they must follow their heart and their instincts and their own roadmap."