A federal prosecutor living in Durango has been tapped by Gov. John Hickenlooper to serve as a district court judge for the 6th Judicial District, which includes Archuleta, San Juan and La Plata counties.

Todd Norvell will take the bench in January with the retirement of Chief Judge Gregory Lyman.

Norvell worked as a deputy district attorney for the 6th Judicial District from the late 1990s to 2001. He then became a special agent with the FBI from 2001 to 2003. He returned to the District Attorney’s Office from 2003 to 2007, before becoming an assistant U.S. attorney in Durango.

He was admitted to practice law in 1991 in Texas. He also practiced in New Mexico before moving to Durango in 1997.

A nominating commission named three finalists for the position. In addition to Norvell, they were Sean Murray, assistant district attorney for the 22nd Judicial District in Cortez, and David Ottman, deputy district attorney for the 6th Judicial District.

The governor also appointed Justin Fay, a prosecutor with the 6th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, to serve as Archuleta County judge. His appointment is effective Sept. 20.

Fay earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Colorado State University in 2003 and his law degree from the University of Tulsa in 2005.