Garfield County man involved in 2022 shooting case granted trial delay following attorney switch

A Garfield County man accused of a 2022 shooting and standoff with law enforcement received a trial delay Thursday after changing legal representation.
Craig Allen Robbins faces five counts of attempted first-degree murder for allegedly shooting his former landlord and firing at officers during the incident. Additional charges include felony false imprisonment, illegal discharge of a firearm, and refusal to leave the premises, along with misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and prohibited use of a weapon.
The charges stem from a July 14, 2022, incident near Riverview Drive, where Robbins shot his former landlord, Tim Parks, during an attempted eviction. The shooting escalated into a police standoff in which more than 50 rounds were fired at officers and nearby homes.
The delay was granted during Robbins’ first court appearance with his new private attorney, William Trent Palmer, who recently replaced public defender Laura Mahler. The hearing was presided over by 9th Judicial District Judge Anne K. Norrdin.
“This is all new to me,” Palmer said. “The court referenced that I just met Mr. Robbins for the first time. I wasn’t in a position to file anything or make any requests without certainly talking to Mr. Robbins.”

Palmer asked the court to withdraw Robbins’ not guilty plea to allow time to review the case and consult with the prosecution.
“I don’t want to clog calendars and have that sort of headache,” Palmer said. “My request would be to withdraw the plea and set this for a status hearing at which case we can re-enter if we need to.”
Judge Norrdin approved the request, vacating the jury trial previously scheduled for Feb. 10 and the pretrial readiness conference set for Feb. 3.
Deputy District Attorney Eric Lund said the prosecution did not oppose the motion but emphasized the need to keep the case moving forward.
“This case is relatively old,” Lund said. “I think when we come back… the people will be interested in setting for trial.”
Robbins, who remains in custody on a $2 million bond, is scheduled to return to court for a status hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 11.

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