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People v. Timothy John Lindstrom
Timothy Lindstrom and his former spouse agreed to dissolve their marriage through a plan made by an order of the El Paso District Court, according to a disciplinary opinion. Under the plan, each party is responsible to pay $250 worth of extraordinary medical expenses annually for the child. If either party incurs costs above that amount, they are to reimburse the other for those costs based on a percentage of their incomes. The party incurring the costs must show proof of payment, and the reimbursing party must pay within 30 days. The plan required Lindstrom to pay child support.
On Sept. 8, 2022, the court issued an amended child support order requiring Lindstrom to pay $931.69 a month in child support, a sum that encompassed $752.86 in actual child support and $178.83 towards retroactive child support arrearages arising from a modification, according to the opinion. Under that order, Lindstrom was to pay down the arrearage over a 12-month period. But Lindstrom didn’t pay the full monthly amount between September and December 2022, the opinion noted. In both September and October 2022, Lindstrom paid just $553.84 monthly in child support. In November and December 2022, he paid $860.02 each month. Lindstrom didn’t pay any child support for the three months between January and March 2023. Between April and November 2023, Lindstrom paid the full amount owed in child support.
In 2023, Lindstrom’s former spouse presented receipts for extraordinary medical expense payments she incurred related to care for their child. Lindstrom didn’t pay his portion of these expenses within 30 days as the plan required, according to the opinion.
On March 30, 2023, Lindstrom completed his Colorado attorney registration for 2023. Lindstrom certified in that process he was in compliance with child support orders, even though he knew he wasn’t in compliance, according to the opinion.
Around Dec. 22, 2023, Lindstrom made a $6,697.70 payment to his former spouse that included payment for all child support arrearages as well as for unpaid extraordinary medical expenses. This payment specifically encompassed support owed for payments he didn’t make in full in 2022 along with payments and interest for unpaid child support in January through March 2023. This payment also covered the retroactive support arrearages required by the court order of Sept. 8, 2022. On Jan. 31, the court entered an order adjusting Lindstrom’s arrears balance to $0, effective that same day.
The Presiding Disciplinary Judge approved Lindstrom’s stipulation to discipline and suspended him for one year and one day, all to be stayed pending Lindstrom’s successful completion of a three-year conditional probation, effective March 6.