Agenda Date: 04/01/2025
Subject:
Title
Resolution 23-2025: Approving the reappointment of Judge Benjamin Currier and Judge Katie Allison as municipal court associate judges for two-year terms
Body
|
From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
|
Prepared by: |
Danielle Trujillo, Court Administrator |
|
Presentations: |
Amanda Lessmann, Municipal Court Judge |
PURPOSE:
Does city council support confirmation of the reappointment of Judge Benjamin Currier and Judge Katie Allison as municipal court associate judges for a two-year term?
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
High-Quality Governance
DISCUSSION:
The Associate Judge appointments are made for two-year terms after the Judge is appointed. The recommendation is to re-appoint Benjamin Currier and Katie Allison as Associate Judges.
Ben Currier is an attorney in private practice in Littleton. He has been with us since 2013. Notably, he is a past recipient of the Outstanding Young Lawyer Awards for both the Colorado Bar Association and the Arapahoe County Bar Association. Ben is also a past president of the Arapahoe County Bar Association.
Katie Allison is currently a Relief Judge for the Aurora Municipal Court as well as a part-time Magistrate for the Jefferson County District Court. She has 15 years of experience as an attorney. She was in private practice and then served as a Deputy District Attorney and an Assistant Attorney General. She was appointed in May 2022 as an associate Judge for Littleton.
If this recommendation is accepted, the court will have three associate judges. After a market analysis done by Human Resources, the final recommendation is to keep the current rate, which is both consistent with the Judge and organization, as well as the market.
BACKGROUND:
Presiding Judge Amanda Lessmann was appointed September 3, 2024. Per the City Charter, Section 58, the judge shall be appointed by the council for a term of two years from the date of appointment.
Associate Judges were last appointed in April of 2023, except for Judge Katie Allison who was appointed on May 5, 2022.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
Associate Judge contract obligations are currently included in the 2025 Approved Budget. There are no new financial impacts.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Presiding Judge Lessmann recommends reappointment of Benjamin Currier and Katie Allison as Associate Municipal Judges.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Charter requires that municipal judges be reviewed and appointed every two years.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve Resolution 23-2025 approving the reappointment of Judge Benjamin Currier and Judge Katie Allison as municipal court associate judges for two-year terms.