EPHRATA — Surrounded by family, friends, fellow judges, lawmakers, mayors and attorneys David Estudillo was officially sworn in as the 17th Superior Court Judge in Grant County’s history on Sept. 10.

Estudillo replaces Evan Sperline, who was the longest-serving Superior Court judge in Washington state (30 years) when he announced his retirement.

Estudillo was appointed to the position last month by Gov. Jay Inslee and will be the sole Latino superior, district or municipal court judge in eastern Washington.

“I want to thank Governor Inslee and his general counsel Nick Brown,” Estudillo said. “It’s a privilege, and I want to thank them for this honor to be able to serve as superior court judge here in our county.”

In the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, Estudillo thanked his wife for supporting him over the years and recognized the hard work ethic instilled into him by his parents.

“My father was a very proud man, and he taught me how to work hard and do the best no matter what,” Estudillo said as he choked up. “My mother, she basically taught me right from wrong, how to be humble.”

A Sunnyside native, Estudillo earned his undergraduate and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of Washington. He has been practicing law as an attorney in Washington since 1999 and served as the principal attorney and owner of Estudillo Law Firm, PLLC, in Moses Lake.

Estudillo has served on the Washington State Bar Association’s Rules of Professional Conduct Committee and the Court Rules and Procedures Committee.

“In particular I want to thank those of you who expressed confidence in me when, quite frankly, I didn’t,” Estudillo told the crowd. “I take the responsibilities of being a superior court judge seriously. It’s a position that obviously has you interact with quite a few people on a regular basis.”

Superior Court Judge John Knodell officially swore Estudillo in, while his wife Sandra helped him into the robes that he will now wear as a superior court judge.