Judge Cristina P. Ortega was appointed to the Second District Court in February of 2021 by Governor Spencer J. Cox. She took the bench in March 2021 and serves Davis, Morgan, and Weber Counties. Judge Ortega graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Law Enforcement and a dual minor in Latin American Studies and Legal Studies from Weber State University. She earned a Juris Doctorate degree in 2002 from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. After graduation, Judge Ortega served as a Deputy District Attorney at the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office from 2002 to 2010 in the Criminal Division where she prosecuted narcotic offenses, general felony offenses, and special victim offenses, including homicides. Judge Ortega then served as a Deputy County Attorney at the Davis County Attorney's Office from 2010 to 2018 where she continued in the specialized prosecution of special victim cases involving sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse investigations. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Ortega served as an Assistant United States Attorney at the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Utah from 2018 to 2021. During her time at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Judge Ortega served as the Project Safe Childhood Coordinator focused on the federal prosecution of child exploitation offenses. She also served a one-year detail as Counsel to the United States Attorney for the District of Utah. Judge Ortega has also been active in her community with a focus on higher education. She was appointed by Governor Gary R. Herbert to serve on the Board of Trustees for the University of Utah and as a Regent for the Utah System of Higher Education. 2/22