Ninth Judicial District Judge Anne K. Norrdin on Tuesday reinstated an order requiring Craig Allen Robbins, 46, to undergo an inpatient mental health evaluation, after a failed attempt to conduct the assessment through a same-day “hold and wait” transport model.
Robbins, who faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder and several other charges stemming from a 2022 shooting of his landlord during an eviction dispute that escalated into a police standoff in Glenwood Springs, declined to participate in a scheduled evaluation in May after expressing apprehension over the transport and duration of the trip, according to statements made during Tuesday’s status conference.
Defense attorney William Trent Palmer told Norrdin that Robbins had been repeatedly awakened in the early morning hours for transports that never materialized, and that the unexpected plan to conduct a single-day evaluation heightened his client’s anxiety, particularly in light of ongoing health concerns.
“I think Mr. Robbins is scared of what this transport situation was going to be,” Palmer said, adding that the original understanding was Robbins would be taken to the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo for a full custodial evaluation lasting several days.
Deputy Mark Fox, appearing on behalf of the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, clarified that the evaluation had been rescheduled to Fort Logan — not Fort Lupton, as initially referenced — in an effort to reduce travel time. Fort Logan is located just outside Denver and is roughly two hours from the Garfield County Jail, compared to Pueblo’s five-hour distance.
Fox also told the court that Robbins had reportedly threatened to escape and “take an officer with him” if removed from the facility, prompting security concerns and the shift to a closer location. Robbins ultimately refused transport.
Prosecutor Eric Lund said the Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health had attempted to expedite the process and called for the court to authorize deputies to use force, if necessary, to carry out future transports.
Norrdin declined to assign blame for the failed attempt but said the hold-and-wait approach — in which Robbins would be transported to a facility for evaluation and returned the same day — was no longer viable.
“I’ll find the extraordinary circumstances that existed that led to my initial May 14 order remain, and in fact, have become heightened, given the failure of the hold-and-wait evaluation over the past month,” Norrdin said.
She directed the court to issue a new order identical to the original May 14 ruling, requiring Robbins to undergo a full inpatient evaluation in custody at the state mental health institute.
Robbins has been held in solitary confinement at the Garfield County Jail for more than 23 hours a day since July 14, 2022, a condition Palmer has previously argued contributes to his client’s deteriorating mental health and impedes the evaluation process.
A new review hearing is set for July 22.
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