Chief judge in Colorado’s Fifth Judicial District charged with felony menacing, removed from position

Fifth Judicial District Chief Judge Mark Thompson (Colorado Judicial Branch)

The main justice for Colorado’s Fifth Judicial District was charged Saturday with felony menacing, according to tribunal records.

Judge Mark Thompson, 54, who presided implicit courts successful Summit, Clear Creek, Eagle and Lake counties, was removed from his presumption arsenic main justice aft the complaint was filed Saturday, according to the Colorado Judicial Branch.

Thompson was charged with a azygous number of felony menacing with a existent oregon simulated limb aft an probe by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, according to tribunal records, which accidental the incidental happened connected July 25.

The lawsuit was suppressed from nationalist presumption and tribunal documents that are expected to item the accusation against Thompson were not instantly disposable Sunday. There was nary written bid successful the lawsuit explaining wherefore it was suppressed.

The justice could not beryllium reached for remark and his lawyer did not instantly instrumentality a petition for comment. Thompson is presently connected planned paid clip off, judicial subdivision spokesperson Rob McCallum said Sunday. It was not instantly wide erstwhile Thompson planned to return, but McCallum said Thompson volition resume his duties arsenic a justice upon his return.

Menacing with a existent oregon simulated limb is simply a Class 5 felony, and is typically punished with 1 to 3 years successful prison, followed by parole, according to the state’s sentencing guidelines.

People perpetrate felony menacing if they purposely marque idiosyncratic fearfulness being earnestly injured and if, portion doing so, they either usage a deadly limb oregon thing that looks similar a weapon, oregon tells the unfortunate they are equipped with a deadly weapon, according to authorities law.

Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Brian Boatright connected Saturday named Judge Paul Dunkelman to service arsenic interim main justice for the Fifth Judicial District portion the transgression lawsuit against Thompson is pending.

“The substance involving Judge Thompson volition beryllium decently addressed done the ineligible system,” Boatright said successful a quality release. “Judge Thompson has the presumption of innocence, and helium is entitled to and deserves owed process.”

All of the judges successful the Fifth Judicial District recused themselves from the lawsuit against their colleague. Judge Sean Finn, who works successful the 17th Judicial District — covering Adams and Broomfield counties — volition preside implicit the lawsuit instead, according to a memo from State Court Administrator Steven Vasconcellos.

Thompson worked arsenic an lawyer successful Summit County for 18 years earlier helium became a territory tribunal justice successful 2010, according to the judicial branch’s website. He was appointed main justice successful 2013.

Thompson, who was charged by summons, is scheduled to look successful tribunal connected Dec. 17.