[WellyP]

While district judges are nominated by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate for lifetime tenure, magistrate judges are appointed by a majority vote of the federal district judges of a particular district and serve terms of eight years if full-time, or four years if part-time, and may be reappointed.

[kiryandil]

Typically, the chief stooge of the district court would have the most say in the selection of a magistrate judge.

The chief stooge of the District of Colorado at that time was Marcia S. Krieger, a Dubya squish with a very iffy record on the bench.