Eleventh Judicial District — Chaffee, Custer, Fremont and Park Counties

This site is copyrighted, supported, and maintained by the Equal Justice Foundation.

Note: The term “redfems” is used as a synonym for neo-Marxist radical feminists as described by the essays here.

For information on the 2022 suspension of 11^th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley's license by the Colorado Supreme Court for failure to complete mandatory continuing legal education click here.

Chaffee County Judicial Building

P.O. Box 279

142 Crestone

Salida, Colorado 81201

(719) 539-2561

FAX: (719) 539-6281

Custer County Courthouse

P.O. Box 60

205 South 6th Street

Westcliffe, CO 81252

(719) 783-2274

FAX: (719) 783-2995

Fremont County Justice Center

136 Justice Center Road, Room 103

Canon City, Colorado 81212

(719) 269-0100

FAX: (719) 269-0134

Park County Combined Court

P.O. Box 190

300 Fourth Street

Fairplay, Colorado 80440

(719) 836-2940

FAX: (719) 836-2892

In 2012 the Equal Justice Foundation began a rating system of justices standing for retention based on the votes of attorneys who submit responses to surveys sent to them by the Judicial Performance Review Commission. The idea was first put forward by the Rocky Mountain News in an October 13, 2002, editorial. Whether a “Retain” or “Do Not Retain” is recommended is based on the criteria:

• Retain: More than 85% of attorneys voted to retain;

• Marginal: in 2012 the standard was that only 80-85% of attorneys voted to retain. In 2014 review this was broadened to 75-85% and in 2018 the standard was expanded again to 71-85% of attorneys voted to retain;

• Do Not Retain: In 2012 the standard was less than 80% of attorneys voted to retain. In 2014 review this was changed to <75% of attorneys voted to retain and in 2018 this was lowered even further to less than or equal <=70% suggesting judicial standards continue to decline.

Table 26: Eleventh Judicial District Judges and Magistrates
Name of Judge	Telephone	Case Links	Comments
District Judges
Charles M. Barton formerly Chief Judge		Retired July 1, 2015.
			Appointed district court judge January 2003.
			Stood for retention in 2006: Retain.
			Stood for retention in 2012. EJF recommendation: Retain 88%

Stephen A. Groome Chaffee County, Fairplay	(719) 836-2940	Did not stand for retention in 2022. Term ends January 10, 2023.
			Appointed district court judge in 2007. Prior to that he was the Park County attorney.
			Stood for retention in 2010. Weak 77% of attorneys recommended retention.
			Stood for retention again in 2016. EJF recommendation: 83% Marginal
Ramsey Lama		Resigned for personal reasons effective July 25, 2022.
			Appointed district court judge by Gov. Hickenlooper in December 2015. Replaced David Thorson. Prior to his appointment he was a criminal defense attorney in private practice.
			Stood for retention in 2018. EJF recommendation: Marginal 84%
Julie G. Marshall Fremont County, Canon City		Stepped down January 2013.
			Appointed district court judge in 1992.
			Stood for retention in 2000. 81% Retain.
			Stood for retention in 2006. Retain. Commission split 5-2 on vote.
			Did not stand for retention in 2012.
Patrick W. Murphy Chief Judge	(719) 539-2561		Appointed district court judge by Gov. Hickenlooper in September 2012. Replaced Julie Marshall.
			Stood for retention in 2016. EJF recommendation: 87% Retain
			Stood for retention again in 2022. EJF recommendation: Marginal
		Just 81% of attorneys voted to Retain and the remaining 19% voted Do Not Retain.
Kenneth M. Plotz Chaffee County		No longer on bench as of February 2007 but remains a senior judge as of September 2020.
David M Thorson Fremont County, Canon City		Resigned in late 2015.
			Appointed district court judge January 2005.
			Stood for retention in 2008. 96% Retain.
			Stood for retention in 2014. EJF recommendation: Retain 100%

Kaitlin Turner Fremont County	719-204-2214		Appointed district court judge by Gov. Polis on June 29, 2022. Previously she was in private practice.
Lynnette M. Wenner	(719) 204-2214		Appointed district court judge by Gov. Hickenlooper in May 2015 to replace Charles Barton. Prior to that she was doing family law in a private practice.
			Stood for retention in 2018. EJF recommendation: Sub-Marginal
		Only a pitiful 71% of attorneys voted to Retain while a full 21% voted Do Not Retain. A very poor showing.
Top County Judges
William P. Alderton Chaffee County, Salida One wonders if the criticism against Judge Alderton was a result of his failure to follow radical feminist ideology and doctrine?		Retired August 14, 2020 after 30 years on the bench.
			Appointed county court judge in 1990.
			Stood for retention in 2000. 91% Retain.
			Stood for retention in 2004. No Opinion.
			Stood for retention in 2008. 85% Retain
			Stood for retention in 2012. EJF recommendation: Retain 89%
			Stood for retention in 2016. 100% Retain. EJF recommendation: Retain
		04 SA 178	In People v. Turner he granted a motion to compel a women's shelter to produce documentation that may have shown subornation of perjury against Turner in a criminal DV case. Sadly, that was overturned by Colorado Supreme Court.
Diana C. Bull Chaffee County	719-539-6031		Appointed county court judge by Gov. Polis on September 16, 2020. Previously a public defender and in private practice.
Norman C. Cooling Fremont County Canon City		Did not stand for retention in 2018 and stepped down January 8, 2019.
			Appointed county court judge in 2007. Replaced William G. Fox
			Stood for retention in 2010. 92% Retain.
			Stood for retention in 2014. 68% Retain EJF recommendation: Do Not Retain
William Gobin Fox Fremont County		No longer on bench as of December 2007.
Brian Louis Green Park County, Fairplay	(719) 836-2940		Appointed county court judge January 2007. Replaced Stanley J. Mayhew
			Stood for retention in 2010. 92% Retain.
			Stood for retention in 2014. EJF recommendation: 84% Marginal
			Stood for retention in 2018. EJF recommendation: 70% Do Not Retain
			Stood for retention again in 2022. EJF recommendation: Retain
		His performance has greatly improved and this time 87%of attorneys voted to Retain, while just 7% voted Do Not Retain.
Amanda Jean Hunter Custer County part time	(719) 783-2274	Did not stand for retention in 2022 and her term ends January 10, 2023.
			Appointed county court judge by Gov. Hickenlooper effective January 15, 2016. Public defender prior to appointment.
			Stood for retention in 2018. EJF recommendation: Do Not Retain
		Only a pathetic 67% of attorneys voted to Retain while a full 33% voted Do Not Retain.
Stanley J. Mayhew Park County		No longer on bench as of February 2007.
Peter F. Michaelson Custer County, Westcliffe		Promoted to district judge in the 18^th Judicial District in November 2015.
			Appointed county court judge August 2003.
			Stood for retention in 2006. Retain.
			Stood for retention in 2010. 83% Retain.
			Stood for retention in 2014. EJF recommendation: Retain 89%
Alexandra Olsen Robak Fremont County	(719) 269-0100		Appointed county court judge by Gov. Hickenlooper. Stepped up to bench January 1, 2019. Prior to that she was a public defender.
			Stood for retention in 2022. EJF recommendation: Retain
		87% of attorneys voted to Retain but none voted Do Not Retain.
Top Magistrates
Larry D. Allen Fremont County	(719) 204-2212
Robert Freeman		No longer on bench as of October 2018.
Amanda Hunter Chaffee County part time	(719) 783-2274
Michael W. Meyrick District Court	(719) 204-2228

Top

| Chapter 7 — Colorado Judges — Citizen's Review |

| Next — Twelfth Judicial District |

| Back — Tenth Judicial District |

This site is supported and maintained by the Equal Justice Foundation.

Last modified 10/14/22.