In a significant judicial appointment, Colorado's acting Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Dianne Primavera, announced the promotion of Laura E. H. Harvell to the 7th Judicial District Court. The appointment, effective from the start of the new year on January 1, 2026, was necessitated by the retirement of Judge Mary E. Deganhart. Harvell's elevation from her current role as a Montrose County Court Judge manifests the state's trust in her capacity to preside over more significant matters of law and justice.
Since 2022, Harvell has maintained a broad docket, ruling over a variety of criminal and civil cases in her Montrose County Court jurisdiction. Her prior experiences include owning her law practice, where she engaged with both the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel and the Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel, serving as an associate attorney, and cutting her teeth in the realm of public defense. These roles have furnished her with expansive legal expertise that she will now bring into her higher role, as underscored by the official announcement published by the Colorado Governor's Office.
Harvell's academic credentials include a B.A. from the College of Charleston, earned in 2007, and a J.D. secured from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2014. The foundational knowledge, gleaned from such esteemed institutions, has been tested and honed throughout a career that spans a decade of dedicated legal service. With Harvell set to assume her new role at the beginning of 2026, the 7th Judicial District Court looks to enter the new year with a judge well-equipped for the litigations and dilemmas she will adjudicate.
