MONTE VISTA — Monte Vista Municipal Judge Daniel Powell has requested termination of his contract with the City of Monte Vista.

The resignation came following Powell’s suspension pending an investigation into allegations raised by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in a report released last week.

The Monte Vista City Council held a special meeting on Thursday, October 12th, to review initial information regarding the allegations.

Council members recognized the seriousness of the allegations and voted to suspend Powell so the claims could be properly investigated and Powell was notified of the suspension on October 13th, the city stated in a Friday release. Immediately following the notification of suspension, Powell notified the city in writing of his desire to terminate his contract with the city.

The majority of court dates from the city have been postponed until November.

Powell is also the municipal judge in Alamosa, which was the main focus of the ACLU report. The Alamosa city council held a work session this week to discuss the allegations further, but Powell did not attend. The Alamosa council discussed having a future meeting with the judge but has not taken any punitive action like Monte Vista.

Caption: Judge Daniel Powell during his swearing in ceremony in Monte Vista.