Probation extended for southern Colorado DA Frank Ruybalid

A southern Colorado district attorney who has admitted to mishandling more than a dozen criminal cases will remain on close supervision for another year but won’t have his law license suspended.

The Pueblo Chieftain reports that Supreme Court’s Office of Attorney Regulation had recommended that Frank Ruybalid, the top prosecutor for Las Animas and Huerfano counties, be suspended from practicing law for six months. However, the court’s presiding disciplinary judge, William Lucero, ruled Wednesday that there’s no evidence that he violated professional conduct rules during his current probation term.

Lucero said that some of the office’s poor performance is due to understaffing. However, he extended probation for another year and said he can’t condone that Ruybalid hasn’t implemented more of the recommendations for improving his office.