Tapped as the new Montezuma County undersheriff, former Deputy District Attorney Lynda Carter vowed to use her expansive background to help advance the county’s top law enforcement organization.
“I want the sheriff’s department to be an agency the community can be proud of,” she said.
As a former prosecutor in the 22nd Judicial District, Carter has worked closely with both patrol officers and detectives within the sheriff’s department.
She believes her experience of battling criminals both on the front lines and in the courtroom better positions her to live up to the sheriff’s anticipations.
“Sheriff Spruell has put a lot of faith in me, and I will do everything I can to meet those expectations,” she said.
Before her law career, Carter served in law enforcement and corrections in Florida, both with the Polk County Sheriff’s Department and the Eagle Lake Police Department.
Spruell said Carter was extremely qualified for the position, citing her background in law enforcement, corrections and as an attorney.
“What struck me the most is she’s very, very community minded,” he said.
Carter accepted her new post on Sunday, June 23, the day before Spruell announced to county commissioners that former Undersheriff Robin Cronk had resigned amid a credit card scandal.
Before resigning, Cronk was placed on paid administrative on Monday, June 18, a move allegedly linked to discrepancies discovered in a credit card report. The investigation is ongoing, Spruell said.
Cronk primarily served as an administrator and was rarely involved in filing criminal charges, both Spruell and District Attorney Will Furse confirmed.
“At this time, I’m not aware of any cases that will be impacted by (Cronk’s) departure,” Furse said.
Furse added that as a deputy district attorney, Carter handled about half of the district court’s caseload.
“She shouldered a lot of responsibility,” he said. “The district attorney’s office congratulates Ms. Carter on her new endeavors, and we wish her the best of luck.”
Carter obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wyoming in 2004, graduating with honors. She graduated from Florida State University College of Law in 2008. After law school, she moved to Pagosa Springs to open a law practice and focused on general practice. She was licensed in 2009 to practice law in Colorado.
