Ritter Names New Judges in 4th, 19th Districts

Gov. Bill Ritter today announced the appointments of Regina Marie Walter of Colorado Springs as an El Paso County Court Judge in the 4th Judicial District, and Dinsmore Tuttle of Windsor as a District Court Judge in the 19th Judicial District, which serves Weld County.

Walter currently serves as a magistrate judge for the 4th Judicial District, a position she has held since 1987. Prior to this, she served as deputy public defender and as an associate for Frank A. Gerig, P.C.

Walter was awarded the State of Colorado Outstanding Judicial Officer of the Year in 1997 and serves as co-chair for the 4th Judicial District Best Practices Court Steering Committee. She received her B.A. from Colorado College in 1980 and her law degree from the University of Tulsa in 1983.

Tuttle has served as a district court magistrate for the 19th Judicial District since 1997. She was in private practice from 1990 to 1997, and served as a public defender in Adams, Weld, and Larimer Counties from 1983 to 1990. Tuttle received her B.A. from New College in 1975, her M.A. from the University of Colorado in 1979, and her law from the University of Denver in 1982.

Walter’s appointment is effective immediately. She is filling the vacancy created by the appointment of the Honorable Barney Iuppa http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6077175309734867272to the District Court bench.

Tuttle’s appointment is effective Jan. 13, 2009, and was created by the retirement of Judge Robert Lowenbach.

The appointments are for provisional terms of two years, and then until the second Tuesday in January following the next general election. Thereafter, if retained by the voters, the term for a District Court judge is six years and four years for a County Court judge. The current salary for a District Court judge is $118,972 and $113,856 for a County Court judge.