Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday appointed Matthew G. Margeson to be Dolores County Court judge in the 22nd Judicial District.

The vacancy was created when Polis appointed Anthony Nathaniel Baca to the bench in the 6th Judicial Court District in Durango.

Margeson is the district attorney for the 22nd Judicial District, which serves Dolores and Montezuma counties, and he has worked as a prosecutor for the office for nine years.

He was elected district attorney in 2020 and served as assistant DA from 2017 to 2021, and deputy DA from 2014 to 2017. Margeson worked in a private practice in Denver from 2007 to 2014.

“I feel a sense of gratitude to be able to continue to serve the community,” Margeson said Wednesday about the appointment. “I always envisioned this as the next step in my career – to transition from an advocate role to a judicial officer.”

He will preside over misdemeanor cases, civil matters and trials, and will issue protection orders and hand down sentences, as well as handle other duties.

“My approach is to maintain the dignity of the bench that my predecessors established to effectively ensure that when the people of Dolores County step into court, their voices will be heard, and they will obtain justice through fair proceedings,” Margeson said.

He said he will miss the staff, people and work of the DA’s office.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to keep working in the law and achieve good outcomes for the community I love,” Margeson said.

The annual salary for the Dolores County judge is $35,181. The initial term of office of a county judge is a provisional term of two years; thereafter, the incumbent county judge, if approved by the voters, has a term of four years.

This appointment will create a vacancy in the Office of the District Attorney in the 22nd Judicial District.

Next week, Polis will announce a process for receiving and evaluating applications for that position and a timeline for appointing someone to that vacancy.

Margeson said he will work with the governor’s office and 22nd Judicial District to ensure a smooth transition.

Margeson must relocate to Dolores County, a requirement of the job. He resides in Dolores in Montezuma County.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in computer engineering in 2004 and a law degree from the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law in 2007.

The other nominees for Dolores County judge were Anne Deyell-Lawrence of Cahone and Montezuma County Attorney Ian MacLaren of Dolores.

jmimiaga@the-journal.com