News about Devin Odell

News from the Google wire . . .

A former newspaper reporter and natural resources attorney has been appointed to take over the district court docket of retiring Judge James Hiatt.

Effective Friday, Devin R. Odell of Fort Collins, Colorado, is the newest judge in the 8th Judicial District of Larimer and Jackson counties.

Odell is an assistant attorney general in the Natural Resources Division of the Colorado Attorney General's Office, a position he has held since 2006. His wife is a professor at Colorado State University.

Odell said he "off and on" wanted to be a judge from childhood, but a rough experience working at a law firm initially put him off.

Born in Colorado but raised largely in California, Odell said he graduated from Yale in 1987 and eventually worked as a “roving reporter” for the trade newspaper Alaska Fisherman’s Journal.

“It’s been downhill since then,” he said with a laugh.

Working in Alaska got him interested in water and other natural resources issues, Odell said, and he eventually went to law school, graduating from the University of California-Davis School of Law in 1997. He clerked for Alaska Supreme Court Judge Dana Fabe and then took a succession of private-sector jobs before he and his wife moved to Fort Collins and he took a job with the attorney general’s office.

He said his selection as judge is a testament to how welcoming the Fort Collins community is, having moved to the area only about six years ago.

Odell said he will take over Hiatt’s docket, which carries a mix of civil and criminal cases. Odell said he’s aware of Hiatt’s reputation as a fair jurist who listens carefully to all sides and said he aspires to do the same.

“That’s one of my goals as a judge — to work hard at being able to do that,” he said.
Odell said the 8th Judicial District has a reputation for being well-run, and he said he looks forward to helping administer justice efficiently.

“It’s really well-run,” Odell said. “They get cases done in a timely way. It’s a good court.”

Ritter chose Odell from a field of three finalists that also included Mary Joan Berenato, a Larimer County magistrate, and longtime Fort Collins private practice attorney Steven B. Ray.

Hiatt also served as chief district judge handling administrative duties. His retirement led the Colorado Supreme Court to name Stephen Schapanski as new chief judge for the district.

Odell’s initial term of office is a provisional term of two years. He will then have to stand for retention. He and his wife have two children, ages 11 and 6.