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A RESOLUTION APPOINTING SUBSTITUTE MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES TO ASSIST THE PRESIDING JUDGE
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Summary and Background Information:
The Commerce City Municipal Court needs relief judges as the previous associate judge, Michelle Kline, has resigned. Council has the authority to appoint relief judges through resolution. Relief judges can perform the same duties as the presiding judge in the event the presiding judge is unavailable. The appointment of the relief judges will give the municipal court greater flexibility in operations. Without relief judges, the municipal court cannot function in the absence of the presiding judge.
This resolution authorizes the appointment of Cindy Dang and F. Michael Goodbee and as relief municipal court judges. The pay for these judges is set as $100 per hour. These appointments will remain in effect until the judges resign or the appointments are revoked by Council.
When searching for relief judges, Presiding Judge Bowen contacted representatives of the Hispanic Bar Association, the Sam Carey Bar Association, and the Asian/Pacific Bar Association. He also contacted members of Colorado Judicial DEI leadership. In addition, as a member of the Colorado Municipal Judge’s Association, he made inquiries with his peers regarding suitable and diverse representation. Finally, when Michelle Kline announced her resignation as associate judge, he also inquired as to her knowledge of other prospects that may be interested in serving as a relief judge for Commerce City Municipal Court.
Both Cindy Dang and F. Michael Goodbee have prior experience as judges in the region. Ms. Dang has worked as an attorney in private practice, served as a County Court Judge in Adams County for 6 years, and is currently working as a Sr. Judge for the City and County of Denver as well as an Adjunct Professor for Denver Community College. Mr. Goodbee has worked as an attorney in private practice, in the Adams County District Attorney’s office and in the Col...
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