Wednesday, September 1, 2010

GOV. RITTER APPOINTS FOUR NEW JUDGES TO COUNTY, DISTRICT COURTS


Gov. Bill Ritter announced today he has appointed four new judges to the bench in Colorado:
 

·         Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge will replace retiring District Court Judge W. Terry Ruckriegle in the 5th Judicial District effective immediately. The 5th Judicial District serves Clear Creek, Eagle, Lake and Summit counties. Thompson is a shareholder of the Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson. He received his bachelor's degree from Bates College in Maine in 1989 and his law degree from the University of Denver in 1992.

 

·         Norma A. Sierra of Boulder will replace retiring Boulder County Court Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen effective Jan. 11. Sierra is currently a District Court magistrate for the 20th Judicial District, which serves Boulder County. Before that, Sierra served as the district's family court facilitator. She was a solo practitioner from 1996 to 2000 and a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice from 1990 to 1993. She earned her B.B.A. from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1984 and her law degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987.

 

·         Mark Marrow Randall of Arvada will replace retiring Jefferson County Court Judge Charles T. Hoppin effective Jan. 11. Randall is currently a chief deputy district attorney for the 1st Judicial District, which serves Gilpin and Jefferson counties. He also is the legislative director for the Colorado District Attorney's Council. Randall earned his bachelor's degree from Creighton University in Nebraska in 1985 and his law degree from the University of Denver in 1988.

 

·         Thomas Lee Lynch of Fort Collins will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming.

 

For a county court judge, the initial term of office is a provisional term of two years. Thereafter, if retained by the voters, county court judges serve four-year terms at an annual salary of $123,067.

 

For a district court judge, the initial term of office is a provisional term of two years. Thereafter, if retained by the voters, district court judges serve six-year terms at an annual salary of $128,598.