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Glenwood Springs lawyer John Neiley appointed to 9th District judgeship

John Colson
Post Independent Staff
Kelley Cox / Post Independent
File/Post Independent

GLENWOOD SPRINGS — Local attorney John Neiley has been appointed to serve as the new judge for the 9th Judicial District, which serves Garfield, Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties.

Neiley was appointed by Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, according to an announcement on Tuesday.

The appointment is effective July 1, but Neiley said he doubts he will be required to begin his new job on that date.



“I do need some time to get my private practice wrapped up, and there’s a lot I’ve got to learn,” he said, noting that the judicial district operates by a July-to-June calendar and the appointment was geared to that calendar.

He said he has a few legal settlements in the works, and must prepare his current client list before he hands his caseload off to another attorney.



Neiley works in private practice as a partner at the law firm Neiley & Alder, started by his brother, Rick Neiley.

John Neiley practices primarily in civil litigation with a focus on real estate transactions and land use and development.

He also has experience in medical malpractice defense, insurance defense, enforcement of Federal Trade Commission consumer protection laws and enforcement of antitrust laws.

Previously, Neiley worked as a partner at Richmond, Neiley & Sprouse LLC; as an associate at Downey, Rauch & Sleeman P.C.; and as a staff attorney for the Federal Trade Commission’s Denver Regional Office.

Neiley earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and a J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law.

He said he has been reading up on what it means to be a judge and has been talking with area attorneys who have worked as judges.

“I think the founding principle of being a judge is one of fairness … and correctly applying the law,” he said in response to a question.

The job brings with it a salary of approximately $128,500 per year plus benefits, and Neiley noted that one plus to his appointment is he will no longer have to deal with the “administrative headaches of being essentially a small businessman, taking care of payroll [of employees] and other things.”

He expects to meet soon with Chief Judge James Boyd to discuss the work and to find out what his caseload will be like.

He said he expects he will be based primarily in Glenwood Springs, and also will travel to the satellite court in Meeker and perhaps Aspen.

Neiley, 54, is married with two teenage children.


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