Ritter Appoints 3rd, 18th District Judges

Gov. Bill Ritter today appointed new judges in the 18th Judicial District and the 3rd Judicial District.

The governor named Kurt Allen Horton to the District Court bench in the 18th Judicial District and Gary Robert Stork to the Huerfano County Court bench in the 3rd Judicial District.

Horton, of Greenwood Village, is currently of counsel with White & Steele, where his litigation practice emphasizes legal malpractice defense, civil commercial litigation and insurance issues. He has been with White & Steel since 1989 and his expertise includes real estate, secured financing, banking and insurance law.

He previously has served as senior vice president and general counsel with Silverado Banking Savings and Loan and as an associate at Hughes & Dorsey.

Horton earned his bachelors degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1976 and his law degree from the University of Denver in 1980.

The 18th Judicial District serves Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln counties.

Stork, of Walsenburg, recently retired as deputy district attorney for the 3rd Judicial District, which serves Huerfano and Las Animas counties. He previously served as district attorney for the 16th Judicial District from 1983 to 2005; that district serves Otero, Bent and Crowley counties.

He received his bachelors degree from Pasadena Nazarene College in 1969 and his law degree from the University of Denver in 1974.

Both appointments are effective Jan. 13, 2009, and will fill vacancies caused by judicial retirements. The appointments are for a 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 the term for a county court judge is four years.

The current salary for a district court judge is $128,598. A county judge receives $123,067 per year.