Family and friends of Colleen McIntyre Osborne last week packed a City Hall courtroom for her swearing-in as a Municipal Court judge.
The Crestmont Farms resident was elected in November.
Municipal Court judges handle felony preliminary hearings, misdemeanor trials, landlord/tenant disputes and small claims. There are civil, criminal and traffic divisions.
“Philadelphia has given me so much, and I hope to return the favor,” she said.
Osborne is a Horsham native who attended Mount St. Joseph High School before earning an English degree from Georgetown. She graduated from the Drexel School of Law.
She served as an assistant district attorney in Montgomery County and Philadelphia and a JAG lawyer in the U.S. Army Reserve.
As a prosecutor, she worked in the sex crimes unit in Montgomery County and the family violence and post-conviction relief units in Philadelphia.
Osborne’s husband, Dave, also worked for the Philadelphia district attorney’s office, where he was the assistant chief of the homicide unit. The couple have two sons, Charlie and Tommy.
When her husband was offered and accepted another job, she thought it was the right time to run for judge.
At her Jan. 24 swearing-in, she thanked, among others, 57th Ward Democratic leader Pat Parkinson and Sprinkler Fitters Local 692 business manager Wayne Miller for helping to make her campaign successful.
Newly elected Municipal Court President Judge Fran Shields presided at the swearing-in, which began with a rendition of God Bless America by Cecelia Kent, a freshman at Gwynedd Mercy High School.
State Sen. Jim Dillon, City Controller Christy Brady and City Councilman Mike Driscoll were among those on hand.
Dave Osborne spoke, as did U.S. District Court Judge Kelley Hodge, a longtime friend of the new judge who was Philadelphia’s district attorney for five months in 2017 following the resignation of Seth Williams.
The oath of office was performed by Risa Vetri Ferman, a former Montgomery County district attorney who is now a Common Pleas Court Judge in the county. Ferman described Osborne as dedicated, hard working, humble and a team player with the heart of a servant.
Municipal Court Judge Pat Dugan, a former president judge who handles Veterans Court hearings, said he wants Osborne to replace him in Veterans Court when he leaves the bench. Dugan was happy to see Osborne elected and sees her having a long and successful career on the bench.
“Philadelphia is lucky that the citizens got it right,” he said. ••
