The town of Dolores recently selected a new municipal judge, and her name is Kristen M.M. Tarrin. She starts on March 28.
She will replace incumbent Municipal Judge Beth Padilla, who is resigning effective Feb. 28.
Tarrin was one of two to apply and interview for the role at a Dolores Town Board meeting Jan. 27. The board unanimously voted in her favor.
“I do have judicial experience and experience in making decisions,” Tarrin said at the meeting. “I love the town of Dolores … and I would love to be of service to you.”
Tarrin also is the Dolores County Court judge, Dove Creek’s municipal judge and a magistrate in the 22nd Judicial District. She also handles Montezuma County domestic relations cases.
The commitment for the new role is minor, as municipal court convenes once a month on the third Friday in Dolores. It typically lasts an hour, attorney Jon Kelly said at the meeting.
Kelly went on to explain that the “job is to primarily preside over Municipal Court.”
That involves things like traffic tickets, bear ordinances, dogs and occasionally disorderly conduct, he said. And, of course, presiding over hearings and trials, plus sentencing.
“We’ve decriminalized our code, so there’s typically no jail time,” said Kelly.
Under the town’s code, the judge does have the power to issue a warrant for someone to enter a building, “but I don’t think that’s actually ever happened,” said Kelly.
He added that since 2019, “I think we’ve done two jury trials.”
Durango-based attorney Ethan Sumrall was the other candidate to interview that night.
Sumrall said he’s appointed to defense cases, and has worked in municipal courts in Cortez, Durango and Pagosa Springs, and has thus “handled anything you can see in a municipal court.”
He’s going on his third year in his practice, and said that he’s interested in the role – and municipal court in general – “because if I’m going to be a lawyer, I want to be in court. And what better way to do that than to be a judicial officer of some kind?”
Since both Tarrin and Sumrall were licensed attorneys – something Dolores’ code prefers – Kelly said the decision really comes down to experience, which Tarrin decidedly has more of.
Plus, she lives in Dove Creek, which the board agreed is akin to Dolores – at least compared with Durango.
“I just really want to be more part of this greater Four Corners community,” Tarrin said when Dolores Mayor Chris Holkestad asked what interested her about the position.
“Obviously, I live in a different county, but Dolores County, Montezuma County – they’re all part of the same area. Really, just to become part of your community.”
