YOUR AD HERE »

Judge Mark Thompson placed on paid leave

Thompson won’t preside over his docket upon return from planned leave

Judge Mark Thompson will not resume his duties as a judge upon his eventual return from planned time off, according to Colorado Judicial Department Public Information Officer Rob McCallum.

McCallum said interim Chief Judge Paul Dunkelman made the decision in accordance with the Colorado Supreme Court’s Office of the Chief Judge Directive 95-01, which allows the acting chief judge to delegate authority of court matters to judges and other staff as deemed appropriate.

Thompson will be on paid leave until further notice, and another senior judge will provide coverage for his docket beginning in November, according to McCallum.



On Oct. 16, the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office charged Thompson with a single count of felony menacing stemming from an incident July 25 in which he allegedly knowingly placed or attempted to place an unknown person “in fear of imminent serious bodily injury by use of a deadly weapon … namely: an AR-15 style rifle,” according to the complaint filed against him.

At the time the complaint was filed, Thompson was on planned time off unrelated to the charge, according to McCallum.



Thompson has been issued a summons to appear in district court Dec. 17.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.