Vail Municipal Court Judge Buck Allen to retire
Town of Vail/Courtesy photo
After 45 years, Cyrus “Buck” Allen III, Vail’s beloved municipal court judge, has announced his retirement from the town. Known to many as “Judge Buck,” his last day on the bench will be Feb. 28.
Allen grew up in Denver, but his ties to Vail began at a young age. He first skied Vail Mountain at age 14, during its inaugural season in 1963. In 1964, his family built a cabin on Buffehr Creek in West Vail and drove up nearly every winter weekend throughout Allen’s high school years. One of his first summer jobs was working for the construction company that put the roof on Vail’s iconic covered bridge.
After high school, Allen attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire for his undergraduate studies, then returned to Colorado to attend law school at the University of Denver. After law school, he served for four years as a deputy prosecutor in the Georgetown office of the 5th Judicial District, which includes Eagle County. It was during his last year there that he was appointed as the part-time judge in Vail in 1979.
With a docket largely comprised of incidents related to life in a resort town, Allen says the best part of the job is the ability to connect with the people who have come through his court.
“It has been my pleasure and honor to serve the people of Vail,” Allen said.
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An avid skier, Allen says he is looking forward to enjoying more of what brought his family to Vail years ago. He will also continue to serve as the part-time municipal judge for the towns of Avon and Breckenridge.
