A Morongo Basin icon, former Superior Court Judge Bert Swift, passed away at his home in Joshua Tree yesterday morning (February 21) at 10 a.m., he was 81. Family members said Judge Swift passed peacefully surrounded by family. The Honorable Bert L. Swift (Ret.) served as a judge for the San Bernardino County Superior Court since his appointment in 1989. He retired from the bench in 2008 and joined the Assigned Judges Program where he was still taking active cases as recently as September of 2021. Prior to his appointment, Swift worked as an attorney in private practice. Bert Swift had a remarkable career; he was a veteran of the United States Navy where he served as an elite Navy Seal. Swift was a police officer for the Palms Springs Police Department and earned his judicial doctorate from the Western States College of Law. He is survived by his wife, Dianne Swift, daughters Lynn Swift and Tanya Fox, sons Tony Soares, Brad Soares, Ash Fox, and Jason Sexton. Judge Swift had 11 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Boys and Girls Club of Yucca Valley in the name of Bert Swift.
