The current term of office of part-time United States Magistrate Judge James M. Candelaria for U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado is due to expire on January 1, 2027. Magistrate Judge Candelaria sits in Durango, Colorado.
The United States District Court is required by law to establish a panel of citizens to consider the reappointment of the magistrate judge to a new four-year term.
The basic authority of a United States magistrate judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. Section 636. In criminal cases, the duties of the part-time Magistrate Judge in Durango are specified in the Western Slope protocol. They include: (1) issuance of search warrants; (2) conducting preliminary proceedings; (3) presiding over the trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; and (4) upon reference, hearing and making recommendations on pretrial motions and, upon consent of the parties, conducting change of plea hearings and giving appropriate advisements in accordance with Fed.R.Crim.P.11 in felony cases. In civil cases, the duties of a part-time magistrate judge include: (1) conducting various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from a district judge, and (2) under certain specified conditions, trial and disposition of civil cases upon the consent of the parties.
Written comments from members of the bar and the public are invited as to whether the incumbent magistrate judge should be recommended by the panel for reappointment by the court.
Comments may be submitted anonymously via this survey link.
The comment period deadline has been extended from 5:00 p.m. on April 27, 2026 to 5:00 p.m. on May 4, 2026.