On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, Colorado Politics reported that San Miguel County Judge Sean K. Murphy has been suspended following allegations of misconduct and a failure to respond to inquiries from the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline. The commission is expressing “serious concerns” regarding Murphy’s conduct, which is alleged to have impacted approximately two dozen cases, causing significant delays for litigants.
According to documents filed in the disciplinary proceedings, Judge Murphy is accused of several unusual incidents. These include a man, described as being half-naked, walking behind him during a virtual court proceeding, a dog allegedly roaming freely in the courtroom during a trial, and someone serving him lunch while the court was in session.
Special counsel Jeffrey M. Walsh, representing the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline, stated on November 4 that witness interviews revealed Judge Murphy routinely started hearings late and conducted them remotely so frequently that it was speculated he no longer resided within the judicial district.
The Colorado Supreme Court issued an order suspending Murphy on October 27, pending the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings. Justices Monica M. Márquez and Melissa Hart recused themselves from the decision without explanation, following standard Supreme Court practice.
Murphy has served as a part-time county judge since 2020. Prior to this, he was mayor and a town council member in Telluride. Voters retained him in 2022, despite a warning from a citizen-led performance commission that he “fails to start court on time” and should “appear in his judicial robe when he is presiding by video means.”
The investigation into Murphy’s conduct began after Anne Mangiardi, director of the judicial discipline commission, sent him a letter on June 25 concerning a complaint about his handling of a small claims case. The trial for this case took place over two days in the spring of 2024, but Murphy allegedly failed to issue an order for more than a year.
Mangiardi’s initial letter also noted concerns about Murphy’s professionalism and diligence, stating that both hearings began late and that a dog was seen roaming the courtroom during the trial. While Mangiardi acknowledged she couldn’t verify the dog allegation from the trial’s audio, she requested a response from Murphy. After a month passed without a reply, Mangiardi emailed Murphy again on July 24, to which he responded he would provide an answer “this weekend.”
On September 18, Mangiardi sent a further letter noting Murphy still had not responded, nor had he issued an order in the small claims case. The commission’s investigation had “uncovered serious concerns” about Murphy’s overall conduct, leading to the creation of a seven-page spreadsheet detailing approximately 25 cases with potential issues.
The allegations include instances where Murphy had not issued orders for two years in some cases and for over a year in others, leading criminal cases to be resolved through plea agreements due to delayed evidentiary rulings. He is also accused of making lawyers and clients remain in court after hours during a blizzard for over 90 minutes.
Furthermore, his inaction allegedly resulted in him losing the ability to impose consequences for probation violations, requiring another judge to terminate defendants’ probation due to Murphy’s failure to act. He also allegedly appeared 30 minutes late for court and blamed his clerk, and on another occasion, he reportedly screamed at his clerk.
The commission is seeking Murphy’s removal from office. They claim Chief Judge D. Cory Jackson also intervened but was unable to get Murphy to respond.
According to the report, a three-member panel will adjudicate Murphy’s discipline case, pursuant to constitutional Amendment H, which voters approved in November 2024.
The panel consists of Denver District Court Judge J. Eric Elliff, former Pueblo County District Attorney Jeff Chostner, and non-attorney Leanne Wheeler.
Source: Colorado Politics
