Marblestein-Deare, Rickard Take Seat as New Superior Court Magistrate Judges
August 15, 2022
The District of Columbia Superior Court has added two new magistrate judges. On August 15, Judges Adriane R. Marblestein-Deare and Stephen Rickard were sworn in by Superior Court Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring, filling out the court’s complement of 26 magistrate judges.
Born in British Guyana and raised in Canada, Marblestein-Deare worked in community and human
services administration in Toronto, including serving as program manager and adjudicator for the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission. Marblestein-Deare graduated from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Training Depot in Saskatchewan, becoming the second Black female officer in the RCMP’s 102-year history. She was stationed in eastern Canada and endowed with federal law enforcement authority throughout the country.
Marblestein-Deare said her police experience reinforced a belief that when those in authority treat the public with respect, it is reciprocated. “If you show people respect and fairness, they really do rise to the occasion and appreciate it,” she said.
As one of the few Black women in the RCMP, Marblestein-Deare said she also knew that she was both highly visible and memorable, necessitating a high standard for conduct both in and out of uniform.
Following her immigration to the United States, Marblestein-Deare attended Howard University School of Law, graduating cum laude in 1999. Upon graduation she was awarded the Covington & Burling Public Interest Fellowship, working as a staff attorney with the Neighborhood Legal Services Program where she represented low-income and indigent D.C. residents in family, civil, and landlord and tenant matters.
Marblestein-Deare went on to work in the Executive Office of the Mayor, representing executive agencies in labor–management matters. She opened her private practice more than 15 years ago handling family law, education, juvenile delinquency, and probate matters.
Marblestein-Deare said she is eager to tackle her new role as magistrate judge. “It’s a gratifying feeling, and I’m really excited to move on to a new level and a different challenge,” she said. “My entire career has been focused on working with people and helping people who are off-track find the resources to get back on track. I went to law school to help the disadvantaged because somebody needs to speak up on their behalf. Everything else has evolved from that.”
Rickard received his juris doctor summa cum laude from Boston University School of Law. He clerked for Judge Joseph L. Tauro on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and Judge Juan R. Torruella on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Rickard has served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia since 2009, most recently as a
line attorney in the Homicide Section within the Superior Court Division. He previously served as chief of the General Crimes Section and as deputy chief supervising the Misdemeanor Unit and, later, the violent crimes prosecutions in the Felony Major Crimes Section. He has served in the office’s Appellate Division and as a line attorney in the General Crimes Section. Rickard also led his office’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m excited to be part of the administration of justice,” Rickard said of his appointment. “Going from the role of attorney to judge and taking on the duty of efficiently and fairly deciding cases and administering justice is very exciting.”
