Gov. Jared Polis appointed two people to fill vacancies in the 11th Judicial District Court on Wednesday.
Kaitlin B. Turner was appointed to fill a vacancy in the 11th Judicial District Court in Fremont County. The vacancy was created by the resignation of Judge Ramsey Lama, effective July 23.
Turner said she applied for the judgeship because she cares a lot about this community.
“It’s my home,” she said. “I’ve practiced here and lived here for 11 years; I wanted to continue to serve at the highest level that I could and to show that we can have leaders in our community with integrity and commitment. That’s what I hope to do on the bench.”
Turner has practiced law before every district court judge, in every county, in the 11th Judicial District. Her practice in the district courts has included felony prosecution, juvenile adjudication, mental health treatment court, child custody and mental health commitment cases.
In her application for the judgeship, Turner said the qualities she brings to the bench include experience in both civil and criminal practice, commitment to and deep knowledge of the community, and the ability to manage a complex and heavy caseload.
“Much like a district court judge’s role, my past positions have required me to know many areas of the law; I have been a generalist, rather than a specialist,” her letter states. “My experience has given me the ability to learn new areas of the law quickly and to adapt to an ever-changing docket.”
Her innate sense of curiosity drives her passion to understand the “why.”
“That curiosity feeds my enthusiasm for the law,” her letter states. “Unraveling complex legal issues and explaining them in terms a layperson can understand brings me a sense of great accomplishment. If appointed, I will work to inspire trust in our courts by both those who are represented by counsel and those who are self-represented.”
Turner is Of Counsel at Werge Law, LLC, a position she has held since 2021. She is also the owner of Kaitlin Turner Law LLC, part-time Assistant County Attorney for Fremont County, City Attorney for the City of Florence, and Director of Legal Training for Police Legal Sciences, positions she has held since 2022.
Previously, Turner was an Interim District Attorney in the 11th Judicial District (2019-2021); Senior Attorney Advisor for the Federal Bureau of Prisons (2011-2019); Senior Appellate Law Clerk (2008-2011); and Law Clerk for Fleishman and Shapiro, P.C. (2007-2008). She earned her B.S. from Black Hills State University in 2004 and her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2007.
She said she will spend the next few weeks transitioning her clients, including the City of Florence and Fremont County.
"I am so honored that the governor placed his faith in me to represent our community on the bench," she said.
Polis also appointed Amanda J. Hunter to fill a vacancy in the 11th Judicial District Court in Park County. The vacancy is created by the retirement of Judge Stephen Groome and is effective Nov. 9.
"I am super excited about the appointment; this is a position I've been eying and wanting for a long time," she said. "It's right here in the 11th where I've practiced ever since I've been an attorney and it's really a nice culmination to my time here in the 11th."
Hunter is the Custer County Court Judge, a position she has held since 2016. She is also a Legal Research Attorney in the 11th Judicial District and a District Court Magistrate in the 11th Judicial District, positions she has held since 2016.
"I enjoyed those jobs, but the district court bench offered me an opportunity for more time on the bench, more district court level cases and also the opportunity to be involved in the treatment court in Fremont County," she said. "Judge Groome oversaw that and I am hoping to maintain that position as part of my case assignments, as well."
Previously, Hunter was a Deputy Public Defender in the 11th Judicial District (2011-2016). She earned her B.A. from the University of Iowa in 2002 and her J.D. from the University of Nebraska in 2011.
In her application for the judgeship, Hunter said she brings to the bench a measured response, tolerance and a desire to see her community and law at their best.
"In the six years I’ve been on the bench, I’ve honed the nuance of remaining impartial while still recognizing the human beings in front of me and the content and intensity of their beliefs and opinions," she stated in her letter. "I am good at recognizing the uniqueness of each case and crafting decisions that address those factors. I work hard to articulate my rulings so they are understood, especially by pro se litigants, and I take care to address arguments even though they had no effect on my ruling because I know it results in that person feeling they have been heard and that the process has been fair."
She wrote that "judgeships aren’t a reward for a long and distinguished legal career, they are a responsibility to our community and an important contributor to people’s faith in the system. Colorado needs judges who can make good legal decisions, yes, but it needs judges who are good people, too. I bring a lot to both of these important concerns."
