"Gloria Rivera is an excellent prosecutor and will fight for the rights of victims and their families," said Gov. Owens. "It is extremely important to have someone on the bench who will put criminals behind bars where they belong."

Rivera has been a deputy district attorney in Denver for the past ten years specializing in criminal law and is currently working on the People v. Nathan Thill death penalty case in the Oumar Dia murder. She previously served as a law clerk with the U.S. Department of Justice and for the law firms of Charles H. Torres, PC from 1988 to 1989 and Saunders, Snyder, Ross & Dickson, PC in Denver from 1986 to 1987.

Rivera grew up in Southern California where her father immigrated and worked as an agricultural worker during WWII. "I received my work ethic from my parents who instilled a respect for authority and hard work within our family," said Rivera. Her family had no money to pay for college so Rivera began working as a secretary at a nearby naval base. Seeking more financially stable employment, she applied for a job with Braniff International Airlines and was transferred to Texas and other locations before she landed in Colorado. Rivera began taking classes at the University of Colorado at Denver where she received her bachelor's degree in 1983. She immediately began law school at the University of Denver and received her juris doctorate in 1988.