Garfield County Court Tracks Sean Tatro and Craig Robbins

Craig Robbins sits in a cell in Glenwood Springs, waiting for his heart to cooperate so the courts can move on to his mind.

It is a specific kind of bureaucratic limbo. The former Glenwood Springs resident was arrested after a July 2022 shooting and police standoff that left him facing attempted murder and other charges. His case has been stalled, not because the county is lazy, but because he is medically unstable. And until he is stable, he cannot be declared competent to stand trial.

That is the reality for Robbins. And it is the reality for Sean Tatro, whose trial clock just restarted.

Two different tracks. One Garfield County District Court. Tuesday’s hearings showed two men in very different stages of legal and physical recovery.

Tatro is moving fast. The former Glenwood Springs school resource officer, who was arrested in April 2024 after a domestic violence report uncovered multiple incidents of physical abuse and threatening behavior, will face a jury again. Judge Anne Norrdin set the new trial date for September 16.

It’s a tight window. A pretrial readiness conference is scheduled for August 24. Just weeks to prepare.

The charges are serious. Menacing. Sexual assault. Second-degree assault. Contributing to the delinquency of a minor between 18 and 21. Use of a stun gun in the commission of a crime.

Tatro was serving as a school resource officer at the time of the arrest. He was placed on administrative leave. The previous trial began May 4. It ended in a mistrial on May 7. Defense attorney Stacey Shobe requested the break after evidence was disclosed during the alleged victim’s testimony the previous day. The jury was discharged. The remaining dates were vacated.

Now, the clock resets.

Robbins, meanwhile, is stuck.

He is on the competency restoration waitlist. But he isn’t just waiting for a bed. He is waiting for his body to allow it.

Norrdin reviewed updated reports from Bridges of Colorado, the court-connected program coordinating services for defendants with behavioral health needs. The update was clear: Robbins will not be moved to the inpatient facility until he is medically cleared.

"He appears to be having regular meetings with Jail Based Behavioral Services," Norrdin said.

But the waitlist is long. Defense attorney William Trent Palmer noted an earlier report indicated about 40 or 50 people ahead of Robbins. More recent reports suggest the queue is still significant.

Robbins told the court directly about the physical barrier. He has serious heart concerns. Atrial fibrillation. A blood clot in the left side of his heart.

He expects another medical evaluation or procedure sometime in July.

That is the bottleneck. No medical clearance. No competency. No trial.

For locals, this isn't just abstract legal procedure. It’s about who is in the jails, who is waiting, and how long the county has to keep them there. It’s about the cost of delay.

Tatro’s trial begins in September. Robbins’ trial waits on his heart.

The court is ready. The people are ready. The bodies are just catching up.