Twelfth Judicial District - Rio Grande County Court Judge
Honorable Michael H. Trujillo
Retention Year: 1998
Recommendation: Retain
The Twelfth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Michael H. Trujillo BE RETAINED.
Judge Trujillo earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Adams State College in 1971. He received his law degree from the University of Colorado in 1974 and was admitted to the Colorado Bar the same year. He was first appointed to the bench in 1975 as Saguache County Judge. He was later appointed to replace retiring Judge Rowe as Rio Grande County Judge in 1991. This is a part-time position, and Judge Trujillo devotes the remainder of his work time to private practice in Monte Vista.
Judge Trujillo's duties include handling traffic cases, misdemeanors, civil actions up to $10,000, small claims, and temporary restraining orders. He believes his primary responsibilities include protecting the rights of litigants and insuring that his court operates in an efficient manner. Whenever possible, he rules from the bench to bring cases to a prompt conclusion, and has worked hard to reduce any backlog of cases in his court. Judge Trujillo makes every effort to preserve the integrity of the bench, both in his public and private life. He makes judicial decisions according to the law, tempered with common sense.
Although some comments questioned his impartiality, the surveys of court personnel, law enforcement, jurors and attorneys generally indicated a high degree of satisfaction with his judicial temperament, demeanor, fairness, knowledge of the law, and courtroom management.