A new Durango municipal judge was selected Thursday by members of City Council.
Beth Padilla, a longtime attorney with prior experience in the region, will replace Matt Margeson, who has served in the role since 2023.
Municipal court proceedings often handle small offenses like traffic infractions, ordinance violations and low-level misdemeanors committed within city limits, and frequently deals in cases involving unhoused individuals and those with substance use disorder.
Padilla was one of two candidates interviewed in a public setting Thursday by City Council. The other candidate was Fort Lewis College Director of Compliance David Pirrone, who has experience as a business litigation and employment law attorney.
Padilla touts 15 years as an attorney, primarily representing children and families in child welfare cases, and has extensive legal experience in La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta, San Juan and surrounding counties.
She has worked as a municipal court judge in Cortez since 2021, and as a backup judge in Durango since 2024. She also owns her own practice, Padilla Law, P.C., and previously served as a municipal judge in Dolores.
She created an outreach and homeless court in Cortez modeled on American Bar Association guidance that connects defendants to treatment and housing via a hub agency and celebrates their progress and successes, and started a teen court based on peer-accountability models.
Padilla said she is unwilling to give up her position in Cortez, which takes up about 10 hours of her time per week – but she’s confident in her ability to manage both roles.
“I absolutely know I can do both of these jobs,” she said. “I have been self‑employed for 15 years. There’s no question in my mind that I can adequately serve both communities.”
Padilla said she does not plan to seek higher-level judicial positions and will wind down her private practice operations to focus on the role. She sees municipal judging as her long‑term role, she said.
Council asked the candidates a range of questions, including how each candidate’s background and experience makes them a strong candidate; what being an active and engaged member of the municipal court bench means to each candidate; how each candidate would manage and prioritize their caseload; what level of familiarity each candidate has with Durango’s laws, regulations, and procedures; each candidate’s experience with specialty courts or alternative sentencing programs; and thoughts on monetary conditions of bond, among others.
Padilla said she prefers to reserve monetary bonds for very limited situations where statutorily allowed. In terms of balancing caseload, she said she prioritizes trials first, structures dockets so defendants can consult prosecutors and counsel, and is willing to give continuances when necessary so people can make informed decisions.
She said being an engaged municipal judge involves truly considering each case, rather than blindly and endlessly processing low-level crimes, and using the court’s flexibility to design community-specific solutions that focus on the cause of an individual appearing in court – like poverty, mental health and substance use.
Padilla said success for defendants struggling with long‑term homelessness, addiction and mental illness can’t be measured solely by whether someone never reoffends, but by reductions in repeat cases and observable progress.
Several councilors said they were seeking a candidate who could keep up with the progress initiated by Margeson, specifically in relation to wellness and diversion court initiatives and identifying resource gaps and funding needs for programs serving high-needs defendants.
“The way that Judge Margeson has exemplified (and) understood the values of the community and the city, and worked hand-in-hand really well with the police department, and then our community partners to really elevate our municipal court, has been phenomenal, so (we want) someone that can bring that same kind of energy,” Councilor Jessika Loyer said.
City Council placed a focus on recruiting a candidate who understands Durango and its community, and has a focus on reflecting local values, rather than simply processing cases.
“It's always a fear to have someone new come in and then not understand the values and priorities of the community, and just push cases through or do their checklist,” Loyer said.
After terms are discussed and agreed upon, a contract will be presented to council for approval before final appointment.
epond@durangoherald.com
