Judicial & Legislative News
Gov. Jared Polis announced the appointment of Jessica L. Curtis as a District Court Judge in the 4th Judicial District to fill a position created by Senate Bill 19-043.
Jessica L. Curtis currently serves as a county court judge for El Paso County, a position she has held since 2017. Her docket consists primarily of criminal cases, including misdemeanors and traffic offenses, as well as DUI Court and county civil cases. Previously, she was a magistrate for the Fourth Judicial District (2011-2017); a partner at Hoffecker & Curtis, L.L.P. (2010-2011); an attorney in the Office of the Guardian Ad Litem (2005-2010); and a deputy state public defender in Colorado Springs (2003-2005). Curtis earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2000, and her J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law in 2003.
Governor to appoint new district court judge
The Fourth Judicial District Nominating Commission has nominated three candidates for a district court judgeship created by the passage of SB 19-043, effective July 1, 2019. Nominees Jessica Curtis of Colorado Springs, William Moller of Woodland Park, and Steven Paul of Colorado Springs were selected by the commission on June 28, 2019 at the El Paso County Courthouse.
Under the Colorado Constitution, the governor has 15 days from July 1, 2019, within which to appoint one of the nominees as district court judge for the Fourth Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties).
Comments regarding any of the nominees may be sent via e-mail to the governor at
gov_judicialappointments@state.co.us
Editor’s Note: Contact information for the three nominees
This information is provided as an e-mail service of the Colorado State Judicial Department, Office of State Court Administrator, 1300 Broadway, Suite 1200, Denver, CO 80203. To discontinue this service or update your e-mail address, please respond to this message with your name, contact information and any comments.
The Fourth Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet June 28, 2019, at the El Paso County Courthouse (270 S. Tejon, Colorado Springs, CO 80901), to interview and select nominees for appointment by the governor to the office of district judge for the Fourth Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties). The new district court judgeship was created pursuant to SB 19-043 and is effective July 1, 2019. To be eligible, the applicant must be a qualified elector of the Fourth Judicial District at the time of investiture and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Colorado for five years. The current annual salary for this position is $168,202. The initial term of office of a district judge is a provisional term of two years; thereafter, the incumbent district judge, if retained by the voters, has a term of six years. Application forms are available from the office of the ex officio chair of the nominating commission, Justice Monica M. Márquez, 2 E. 14th Ave., Denver, CO 80203; and the office of the court executive, Scott Sosebee, 270 S. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, CO 80901). Applications are also available on the court’s home page at http://www.courts.state.co.us/Careers/Judge.cfm The completed application must be e-mailed to the address listed in the instructions below no later than 4 p.m. on June 7, 2019. Late applications will not be considered. Any person news Colorado Judicial Department Nathan B. Coats, Chief Justice Christopher T. Ryan, State Court Administrator wishing to suggest a candidate to fill the vacancy may do so by letter to be submitted to any member of the nominating commission, with a copy to the ex officio chair, no later than 4 p.m. May 31, 2019. The members of the nominating commission for the Fourth Judicial District are: Larry Gaddis, Beth Lieberman, Juan Moreno, Mary Linden, Jennifer George and Joshua Brooks, all of Colorado Springs; and Daniel Nicholson and Philip Mella of Woodland Park. Editor’s Note: Contact information for the nominating commission members: Jennifer George, 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80918 Larry Gaddis, 15 W. Cimarron St., Ste. 300, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 Joshua Brooks, 21950 Sweet Road, Peyton, CO 80831 Mary Linden, 111 S. Tejon St., Suite 202., Colorado Springs, CO 80903-2246 Philip Mella, 2018 Valley View Dr., Woodland Park, CO 80863 Juan Moreno, 250 Vandenburg St., Peterson AFB, CO 80914 Daniel Nicholson, 226 Illini Dr., Woodland Park, CO 80863
The Fourth Judicial District Nominating Commission (El Paso and Teller Counties) has nominated three candidates to fill one district court judgeship. The vacancy has been created due to the retirement of the Hon. Barbara Hughes, effective February 15, 2019.
The three nominees are: Brien D. Cecil
Mr. Cecil is a Senior Deputy District Attorney in the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office in Colorado Springs, a position he has held since 2013. His practice is comprised of criminal law, and he currently leads the Special Victims Unit in his office. He was a Deputy District Attorney with the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office from 2000 to 2013. Mr. Cecil earned his B.A. degree from the University of Florida in 1993 and his J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1999.
Magistrate Henson serves as an El Paso County Court Magistrate, a position he has held since 2017. His docket is comprised primarily of civil matters, including domestic and juvenile cases, and he also presides over a criminal bond forfeiture docket. Previously, he served as a Deputy State Public Defender in the Colorado Springs Regional Office (2002-2010), and as a Supervising Deputy State Public Defender (2010-2017). Magistrate Henson earned his B.A. degree from the University of Georgia in 1995 and his J.D. degree from Mercer University School of Law in 2002.
William H. Moller
Mr. Moller is private practitioner at the Moller Law Group, LLC in Woodland Park, a position he has held since 2007. His practice consists of domestic relations, estate planning, elder law, probate and guardianships, civil litigation, and business matters. Previously, he served in the United States Army from 1985-2005. Mr. Moller earned his B.S. degree from Florida State University in 1984, his M.A. degree from Purdue University in 1997, and his J.D. degree from
Under the Colorado Constitution, the governor has 15 days from March 4, 2019, within which to appoint one of the nominees as district court judge for the Fourth Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties).
The vacancy will be created by the retirement of the Hon. Barbara Hughes, effective Feb. 15, 2019. The current annual salary for this position is $168,202. The initial term of office of a district judge is a provisional term of two years; thereafter, the incumbent district judge, if approved by the voters, has a term of six years.
Deadline to Apply: no later than 4 p.m. Feb. 15, 2019
Online Application
Governor to appoint new county court judge
The Fourth Judicial District Nominating Commission has nominated three candidates for an El Paso County court judgeship created by the voters’ decision not to retain the Hon. Christopher E. Acker, effective Jan. 8, 2019. Nominees Samorreyan Burney, Samuel Evig and Steven Paul, all of Colorado Springs were selected in a meeting on Dec. 18, 2018, at the El Paso County Judicial Building.
Under the Colorado Constitution, the governor has 15 days from Dec. 18, 2018, within which to appoint one of the nominees as county court judge for El Paso County.
Comments regarding any of the nominees may be sent via e-mail to the governor at gov_judicialappointments@state.co.us
Employment Opportunity
The City of Woodland Park is accepting applications for a part-time Municipal Court Judge. The part-time Municipal Court Judge will be expected to fill in for the presiding Municipal Court Judge when the presiding judge is absent, disqualified or otherwise unable to act in any matter or case. Prior municipal court experience is highly desirable.
Qualified applicants must possess a license to practice law in the State of Colorado and be a qualified elector of the State of Colorado. A valid driver’s license and a background check will be required. Salary will be determined based on the qualifications of the person appointed by city council. This is a non-benefited position.
Application review to begin November 26, 2018. The position will remain open until filled. Applications for Employment are available on the City’s website www.city-woodlandpark.org and at City Hall, 220 West South Avenue, (719) 687-9246, 8am to 5pm. Please submit a letter of interest, resume and City Application for Employment to Personnel, City of Woodland Park, P.O. Box 9007, Woodland Park, CO 80866. EEO/AAE
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Seventeen participants in the Recovery Court program in the Fourth Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties) are expected to graduate from the intensive treatment and supervision program during a ceremony on Oct. 9, 2018.
The graduates who will be celebrated in the ceremony from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Room W113 at the El Paso County Combined Courts, 270 S. Tejon in Colorado Springs, will have completed at least two years in one of two tracks of Recovery Court: Adult Criminal Drug Court (ACDC) or the Healthy Engaged and Living Sober (HEALS) Court. Recovery Court requires each participant to work, complete community service, pay court costs and restitution and complete at least two years of addiction treatment.
Treatment courts like Recovery Court have been shown in studies by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals to be an effective strategy in reducing drug use and recidivism among substance addicted, nonviolent offenders with criminal histories. As an alternative to incarceration, the NADCP says such programs also have proved to produce significant cost savings.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the successes of a group of very dedicated participants who have reached a milestone not only in their recovery but also in their lives,” said Fourth Judicial District Court Magistrate Daphne Burlingame. “This graduation reaffirms our community’s commitment to working together to help individuals successfully leave drugs and crime behind and become contributing members to society. We are so proud of the hard work our graduates have endured to make it to this day.”
Historically, 77 percent of Recovery Court participants have graduated from the program. In a recent recidivism study of the period from January 2010 to June 2016, 75 percent of ACDC graduates did not receive new charges in Colorado, and 88 percent of HEALS graduates did not receive new charges in Colorado. In 2017, the Recovery Court served 210 participants. It is one of nearly 80 problem-solving courts operating in Colorado.
Editor’s note:
News media representatives are invited to attend the ceremony. Use of cameras must be approved in advance, and no person may be photographed or recorded on video without their consent. Please contact Robert Burrs at 719-452-5209 for more information
Monthly Salary Range: $11,993.00 - $11,993.00
General Statement of Duties: Performs a variety of judicial duties in the Colorado Judicial System including deciding the merits of cases, hearing and evaluating evidence and witness credibility, analyzing laws and rules, making findings of fact and conclusions of law and issuing oral or written decisions and orders to resolve cases. Provides administrative direction for the operation of a judicial division including supervisory accountability for division staff, volunteers or interns.
Position Start Date: Jan. 8, 2019
