Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Monica Márquez selected Kim Shropshire to succeed Jeffrey Wilson as the Colorado 6th Judicial District’s chief judge, according to a news release from the Colorado Judicial Branch on Oct. 20.
Wilson will be retiring Jan. 2, and Shropshire will immediately undertake the administrative roles prescribed to the chief district judge, court administrator Eric Hogue said in an email to The Durango Herald.
“Judge Shropshire was appointed as the new incoming Chief Judge only to replace Judge Wilson in the administrative capacity when he departs in Jan. 2026,” Hogue said.
According to the news release, Shropshire will serve as the administrative head of the district. She will be responsible for appointing the court executive, chief probation officer and clerk of court – which will assist in personnel, financial and case-management duties. Additionally, Shropshire and her appointed officials will see to it that court business is conducted efficiently and effectively, the release said.
Shropshire was appointed to the district’s bench in 2022, working as a district court judge, the release said.
She will move to chief judge when Wilson retires and undertake the administrative duties that he currently performs, Hogue said. Justin Fay, who currently serves on the Archuleta County Court, will move to the 6th District Court’s bench.
On Oct. 16, the Colorado Judicial Branch sent a news release announcing finalists for the 6th Judicial District judge position. The finalists are Katie Dittelberger of Durango, Anthony Edwards of Silverton and Reid Stewart of Hesperus.
A new district court judge has not yet been named.
Shropshire previously worked as a staff attorney for Colorado Legal Services and a Guardian ad Litem through the Mountain CFR Court. She later opened her own private practice, the Law Office of Kim S. Shropshire, which focused on family law, the release said.
Márquez said in the Oct. 20 release that Wilson served for more than two decades.
“Wilson served the judiciary for 23 years and, in that time, showed outstanding administrative leadership, including his instrumental role in establishing a new courthouse in Archuleta County,” Márquez said. “We look forward to working with Judge Shropshire, and we congratulate her on her new role.”
Woodward said the district court handles serious criminal cases and high-dollar civil matters throughout Archuleta, La Plata and San Juan counties.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
