(CAÑON CITY, Colo.) — The former District Attorney (DA) for the 11th Judicial District has been ordered to pay over $300,000 after she failed to appear in court.

In December of 2024, three counties; Fremont, Chaffee, and Custer sued former DA Linda Stanley for what they alleged to be a misuse of public funds while defending herself from ethics complaints.

The counties asserted that by paying legal fees that were not necessary expenses for the transaction of official business, Stanley “willfully, knowingly, and fraudulently converted funds appropriated by County to her own use and benefit, and/or to use other than the public use authorized by law.”

According to a court order, on Friday, March 21, the court found that despite being served a summons on Dec. 14, 2024, Stanley failed to appear in court and the judgment was awarded to the Plaintiffs.

The court order states that the Boards of County Commissioners of Fremont, Chaffee, and Custer counties were granted their judgment of $99,516.60. The judge found that by law, the counties were entitled to triple the damages, along with pre-judgment interest from the date of each misappropriation of public funds to the date of judgment along with court fees to bring the total judgment to $307,264.23.

On top of the judgment amount, an 8% interest per year will be added to the judgment total until it is fully paid.