Montrose, CO — The City of Montrose officially welcomed Judge Charles Greenacre as the city’s new Municipal Court judge following the retirement of longtime Judge Richard Brown.
Judge Greenacre took the oath of office administered by Mayor Doug Glaspell during the City Council’s regular meeting Tuesday evening.
Judge Greenacre will immediately assume the Municipal Court bench where Brown had presided since 2002.
During a retirement ceremony held Monday, April 5, Judge Brown was given an honorary peace officer designation with both the Montrose Police Department and the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office. Former Police Chief Tom Chinn and current county Sheriff Gene Lillard each presented Brown with a plaque detailing the honorary title after administering their agency’s law enforcement oath of honor.
(Judge Greenacre, right, took the oath of office administered by Mayor Doug Glaspell Tuesday evening.)
Judge Brown was appointed by Colorado Governor Richard Lamb as the Montrose County Judge in 1976 and appointed as a district judge by Governor Roy Romer in 1994. In 2002, Brown retired as a district judge as was appointed by the City Council as the Montrose Municipal Court judge.
The Municipal Court is the judicial component of the three branches of Montrose city government. The City Council appoints the municipal judge and assistant judge.
The Municipal Court handles traffic and criminal violations. Many of the traffic violations are payable prior to court. Most criminal violations require an appearance in court before a judge.
All court sessions are open to the public and are held every Thursday in the City Council Chambers at the Elks Civic Building.
Find more information about the city’s Municipal Court here.