Gov. Jared Polis on June 29 announced judicial appointments to county and district courts.
Polis appointed Laura Harvell to fill a vacancy on the Montrose County Court in the 7th Judicial District. The vacancy is created by the resignation of Judge Bennett Morris, effective July 2. Harvell is the owner and solo practitioner of the Law Office of Laura Harvell P.C., a position she’s held since 2018. Harvell is also a contract attorney with the Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel and the Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel, positions she’s held since 2018. Her practice consists of criminal defense and dependency and neglect matters. Previously, Harvell was an associate attorney with the Law Office of Jennifer E. Longtin, LLC from 2016 to 2018. She was also an attorney with the Office of the Municipal Public Defender from 2014 to 2016. Harvell earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston in 2007 and her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2014.
Polis appointed two people to fill vacancies on the 11th Judicial District Court. Amanda Hunter was appointed to fill a vacancy on the 11th Judicial District Court in Park County created by the retirement of Judge Stephen Groome, effective Nov. 9. Kaitlin Turner was appointed to fill a vacancy on the 11th Judicial District Court in Fremont County created by the resignation of Judge Ramsey Lama, effective July 23.
Kaitlin Turner is of counsel at Werge Law, LLC, a position she’s 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’s held since 2022. Previously, Turner was an interim district attorney in the 11th Judicial District from 2019 to 2021, senior attorney advisor for the Federal Bureau of Prisons from 2011 to 2019, senior appellate law clerk from 2008 to 2011 and law clerk for Fleishman and Shapiro, P.C. from 2007 to 2008. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Black Hills State University in 2004 and her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2007.
Amanda Hunter is the Custer County Court Judge, a position she’s held since 2016. She’s also a legal research attorney in the 11th Judicial District and a District Court Magistrate in the 11th Judicial District, positions she’s held since 2016. Previously, Hunter was a deputy public defender in the 11th Judicial District from 2011 to 2016. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in 2002 and her J.D. from the University of Nebraska in 2011.
Polis also made three appointments to the 2nd Judicial District Court in Denver.
Anita Schutte was appointed to fill a vacancy on the 2nd Judicial District Court created by the retirement of Judge Michael Vallejos, effective July 30. Schutte is a second assistant attorney general in the state services section, human services unit of the Colorado Department of Law, a position she’s held since 2020. Previously, she was a senior assistant attorney general from 2018 to 2020 and assistant attorney general from 2012 to 2018 for the Colorado Department of Law, assistant municipal court judge for the City of Greeley from 2008 to 2014, special counsel for the Law Office of Louise Bouzari from 2008 to 2013, deputy state public defender in Weld County from 2007 to 2008 and a solo practitioner from 2004 to 2007. Schutte earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver in 2000 and her J.D. from Whittier Law School in 2003.
Polis appointed Demetria Trujillo to fill a vacancy on the 2nd Judicial District Court created by the retirement of Judge Michael Martinez, effective Sept. 1. Trujillo is the managing attorney for the State Public Defender’s Office in Denver, a position she’s held since 2018. Her practice consists of criminal defense. Previously, she was a supervising deputy state public defender from 2008 to 2018, deputy state public defender from 2003 to 2008 in Denver and a law clerk for Judge Frank Dubofsky in the Boulder District Court from 2002 to 2003. Trujillo earned her bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University in 1999 and her J.D. from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in 2002.
Andrew Luxen was appointed to fill a vacancy in the 2nd Judicial District Court created by the retirement of Judge Edward Bronfin, effective Jan. 10, 2023. Luxen is the chief deputy district attorney for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, a position he’s held since 2019. His practice consists of criminal prosecution. Previously, he was a senior deputy district attorney from 2011 to 2019 and a deputy district attorney from 2006 to 2011 for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Luxen earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2001 and his J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2006.