EJF Newsletter — 2020 Review of Colorado Judges

Additional copies of this report in printable PDF format (9 pages) are available on the web.

Basic to the rule of law is the selection of competent, well-educated, and wise judges. Conversely, there must be an effective and easy to understand way of removing those who don't make the cut. Our review of Colorado judges standing for retention in 2020 is attached.

To help weed out bad judges all Colorado state judges must stand for retention by the voters at fixed intervals in even years. Reports on each judge are prepared by judicial performance commissions in each of the 22 judicial districts. But, being political, these commissions usually whitewash the judges.

In 2020 there are 101 judges standing for retention in Colorado but only two were determined to not meet performance standards by the commissions and; thus, should be voted out.

The Equal Justice Foundation has long been independently tracking judicial performance and postulates that the number of bad judges is considerably more than two. Inasmuch as the judicial performance commissions seek input from the attorneys who know the judges, in 2012 we began compiling our own tabulation of good and bad judges based solely on the attorney votes reported to the separate commissions; in essence a jury of the judge's peers. That provides a simple to understand and brief statement of the judge's performance, and what the attorneys who know the judge best think of them.

As in the past, the EJF 2020 judicial performance review based on attorney votes is attached. By this measure 17 of the 101 judges standing for retention this year should not be retained and voted off the bench. The performance of 27 more is found to be marginal at best. Conversely, attorneys rated 22 of these judges as outstanding.

If you live in another state perhaps our method may be of some use in establishing a similar method of evaluating judges. Additional copies of our 2020 report can be found online and reviews and much of the history of all Colorado judges can be found here.


 

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2020 Colorado Judicial Performance Evaluations

October 11, 2020

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EJF Evaluations Based On Attorney Judgments

Criteria

Retain >85% of attorneys voted to retain;

Marginal 71-85% of attorneys voted to retain;

Do Not Retain <=70% of attorneys voted to retain. Note that this level was lowered from 75% to 70% in 2018 suggesting judicial standards are not improving.

Retention intervals

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All state judges first stand for retention in even years two years after their appointment or a promotion to a higher bench. After that they stand for retention based on the court they sit in at the following intervals so long as they remain on that bench:

Supreme Court justices — every 10 years;

Court of Appeals judges — every 8 years;

District court judges — every 6 years;

County court judges — every 4 years.

Magistrates are not state judges and serve at the pleasure of the chief judge of the respective judicial district, not the citizens. Municipal judges are in a similar category in their local municipalities.

2020 Judicial Performance Commission Evaluation

2020 EJF Evaluation

Based on

Attorney

Votes

Judge

Finding

Attorney Votes

Prior Rating

Retain

Do Not

Retain

Attorney

% Retain

Colorado Supreme Court

 

Prior 2010
2020

Melissa Hart

Meets Standards

90%

5%

Not on bench

Retain

Carlos A Samour,. Jr.

Meets Standards

69%

13%

67%

Do Not Retain

Do Not Retain

Colorado Court of Appeals

 
Prior 2012
2020

Ted C. Tow III

Meets Standards

66%

31%

90%

Retain

Do Not Retain

Craig R. Welling

Meets Standards

84%

16%

93%

Retain

Marginal

First Judicial District Judges (Gilpin, Jefferson)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Randall C. Arp

Meets Standards

88%

9%

79%

Marginal

Retain

Ann Gail Meinster

Meets Standards

88%

8%

80%

Marginal

Retain

Lily Oeffler

Meets Standards

85%

11%

88%

Retain

Marginal

Tamara Russell

Meets Standards

66%

24%

87%

Retain

Do Not Retain

Christopher Zenisek

Meets Standards

74%

17%

84%

Marginal

Marginal

No Gilpin County judge stood for retention in 2020.

Jefferson County
Prior 2016
2020

Bradley Allen Burback

Meets Standards

88%

6%

80%

Marginal

Retain

Verna Lee Carpenter

Meets Standards

64%

24%

70%

Do Not Retain

Do Not Retain

K. J. Moore

Meets Standards

80%

10%

68%

Do Not Retain

Marginal

Harold Sargent

Meets Standards

78%

11%

Not on bench

Marginal

Second Judicial District Judges (Denver County)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Christopher J. Baumann

Meets Standards

87%

4%

Not on bench

Retain

Martin Foster Egelhoff

Meets Standards

87%

9%

70%

Do Not Retain

Retain

John Eric Eliff

Meets Standards

83%

17%

93%

Retain

Marginal

A. Bruce Jones

Meets Standards

77%

23%

90%

Retain

Marginal

Michael J. Vallejos

Meets Standards

84%

10%

81%

Marginal

Marginal

Probate Court

Elizabeth D. Leith

Meets Standards

91%

2%

75%

Marginal

Retain

Denver County Judges
Prior 2016
2020

Beth Ann Faragher

Meets Standards

88%

13%

84%

Marginal

Retain

Isabel Pallares

Meets Standards

30%

50%

Not on bench

Do Not Retain

Nicole M. Rodarte

Meets Standards

74%

22%

90%

Retain

Marginal

Andre L. Rudolph

Meets Standards

63%

13%

Undetermined

Do Not Retain

Barry A Schwarz

Meets Standards

68%

23%

Not on bench

Do Not Retain

Frances E. Simonet

Meets Standards

92%

8%

Not on bench

Retain

Theresa Spahn

Meets Standards

67%

33%

100%

Retain

Do Not Retain

Third Judicial District Judges (Huerfano, Las Animas)

No District or County Court Judges standing for retention in 2020.

Fourth Judicial District Judges (El Paso, Teller)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

William Bain

Meets Standards

100%

0%

89%

Retain

Retain

Jann Dubois

Meets Standards

91%

3%

90%

Retain

Retain

Thomas Kelly Kane

Meets Standards

89%

11%

90%

Retain

Retain

Michael Paul McHenry

Meets Standards

97%

3%

85%

Marginal

Retain

David Prince

Meets Standards

90%

7%

81%

Marginal

Retain

Erin L. Sokol

Meets Standards

95%

5%

Not on bench

Retain

Gregory R. Werner

Meets Standards

57%

38%

76%

Marginal

Do Not Retain

El Paso County Judges
Prior 2016
2020

Laura Norris Findorff

Meets Standards

86%

14%

96%

Retain

Rain

Shannon Gerhart

Meets Standards

95%

5%

Not on bench

Retain

No Teller County judge standing for retention in 2020

Fifth Judicial District Judges (Clear Creek, Eagle, Lake, Summit)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Russell Holton Granger

Meets Standards

86%

11%

80%

Marginal

Retain

Mark Duncan Thompson

Meets Standards

100%

0%

96%

Retain

Retain

Clear Creek County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Cynthia J. Jones

Meets Standards

100%

0%

Not on bench

Retain

Eagle County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Rachel Olgun-Fresquez

Meets Standards

85%

12%

94%

Retain

Marginal

Lake County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Jonathan Shams

Meets Standards

100%

0%

85%

Marginal

Retain

Summit County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Edward Jude Casias

Meets Standards

96%

4%

94%

Retain

Retain

Sixth Judicial District Judges (Archuleta, La Plata, San Juan)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Suzanne F. Carlson

Meets Standards

71%

21%

79%

Marginal

Low Marginal

Todd Parker Norvell

Meets Standards

87%

9%

Not on bench

Retain

Archuleta County Judge

No Archuleta County Judge stood for retention in 2020.

La Plata County

No La Plata County Judge stood for retention in 2020.

San Juan County
Prior 2016
2020

Anthony D. Edwards

Meets Standards

100%

0%

Undetermined

Retain

Seventh Judicial District Judges (Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Mary E. Deganhart

Meets standards

93%

7%

86%

Retain

Retain

D. Cory Jackson

Meets standards

87%

0%

Not on bench

Retain

J. Steven Patrick

Meets standards

97%

0%

88%

Retain

Retain

Gunnison County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Ashley M. Burgemeister

Meets standards

82%

18%

Not on bench

Marginal

Montrose County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Kurt M. Beckenhauer

Meets standards

100%

0%

 

Retain

Ouray County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Zachary D. Martin

Meets standards

100%

0%

Not on bench

Retain

No county court judges standing for retention in Delta, Hinsdale, or San Miguel counties

Eighth Judicial District Judges (Jackson, Larimer)

District Court Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Susan Blanco

Meets standards

88%

4%

Not on bench

Retain

Julie Kunce Field

Meets standards

94%

4%

79%

Marginal

Retain

Stephen John Jouard

Meets standards

98%

0%

Not on bench

Retain

Juan G. Villaseñor

Meets standards

68%

29%

Not on bench

Do Not Retain

Larimer County Judges
Prior 2016
2020

Mary Joan Berenatio

Meets standards

75%

9%

70%

Do Not Retain

Very Marginal

Kraig Ecton

Meets standards

86%

14%

62%

Do Not Retain

Retain

Joshua B. Lehman

Meets standards

94%

3%

96%

Retain

Retain

No Jackson County Judges standing for retention in 2020.

Ninth Judicial District Judges (Garfield, Pitkin, Rio Blanco)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Denise K. Lynch

Meets standards

86%

8%

79%

Marginal

Retain

No county judges in the 9th Judicial District standing for retention in 2020.

Tenth Judicial District Judges (Pueblo)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

William D. Alexander

Meets Standards

81%

14%

84%

Marginal

Marginal

Allison P. Ernst

Meets Standards

80%

10%

Not on bench

Marginal

Pueblo County Judges
Prior 2016
2020

Roberto A. Silva

Meets Standards

100%

0%

Not on bench

Retain

Eleventh Judicial District Judges (Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, Park)

No district judges standing for retention in the Eleventh Judicial District

No county court judges standing for retention in Chaffee, Fremont, or Park counties

Twelfth Judicial District Judges (Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Michael A. Gonzales

Meets Standards

100%

0%

81%

Marginal

Retain

Amanda C. Hopkins

Meets Standards

89%

11%

Not on bench

Retain

Conejos County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Kimberly D. Cortez

Meets Standards

100%

0%

 

 

Retain

Mineral County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Ruth Acheson

Meets Standards

100%

0%

80%

Marginal

Retain

No Alamosa, Costilla, Rio Grande, or Saguache County Judges stood for retention in 2020.

Thirteenth Judicial District Judges (Kit Carson, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Yuma)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Kevin Lee Hoyer

Meets Standards

88%

6%

77%

Marginal

Retain

Logan County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Ray Ann Brammer

Meets Standards

88%

12%

 

 

Retain

Phillips County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

KImbra L. Killin

Meets Standards

75%

25%

Undetermined

Marginal

Sedgwick County Judge (Thirteenth Judicial District cont.)
Prior 2016
2020

James Craig Dolezal

 

Does Not Meet Standards

67%

 

33%

 

Not on bench

 

Do Not Retain

 

Yuma County
Prior 2016
2020

Kristei Ray Jones

Meets Standards

67%

33%

Not on bench

Do Not Retain

No county court judges standing for retention in Kit Carson, Morgan, or Washington counties

Fourteenth Judicial District Judges (Grand, Moffat, Routt)

No District Court judges standing for retention

No Grand, Moffat, or Routt county judges standing for retention

Fifteenth Judicial District Judges (Baca, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Prowers)

No District Court judges standing for retention

No County Court judges standing for retention in Baca, Cheyenne, Kiowa, or Prowers counties

Sixteenth Judicial District Judges (Bent, Crowley, Otero)

No District Court Judges standing for retention in 2020.

Bent County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Samuel Scott Vigil

Meets Standards

100%

0%

71%

Do Not Retain

Retain

Crowley County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Richard Medina

Meets Standards

No data

Not on bench

Undetermined

No county judges seeking retention in Otero County

Seventeenth Judicial District Judges (Adams, Broomfield)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Tomee Crespin

 

Does Not Meet Standards

49%

 

33%

 

Not on bench

 

Do Not Retain

 

Caryn A. Datz

Meets Standards

85%

8%

Not on bench

High-end marginal

Sean Patrick Finn

Meets Standards

88%

8%

Not on bench

Retain

Robert W. Kiesnowski, Jr.

Meets Standards

83%

13%

84%

Marginal

Marginal

Priscilla Loew

Meets Standards

77%

14%

Not on bench

Marginal

Roberto Ramirez

Meets Standards

63%

19%

Not on bench

Do Not Retain

Mark Douglas Warner

Meets Standards

75%

19%

87%

Retain

Marginal

Adams County Judges (Seventeenth Judicial District cont.)
Prior 2016
2020

Martin J. Flaum

Meets Standards

92%

4%

Not on bench

Retain

Leroy. D. Kirby

Meets Standards

89%

11%

86%

Retain

Retain

No Broomfield County judges standing for retention in 2020.

Eighteenth Judicial District Judges (Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, Lincoln)

District Court Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Michelle Ann Amico

Meets Standards

95%

0%

88%

Retain

Retain

Andrew Baum

Meets Standards

62%

38%

Not on bench

Do Not Retain

Cynthia Dianne Mares

Meets Standards

56%

35%

Not on bench

Do Not Retain

John E. Scipione

Meets Standards

88%

13%

Not evaluated

Retain

Theresa Michelle Slade

Meets Standards

89%

6%

70%

Do Not Retain

Retain

Darren L. Vahle

Meets Standards

86%

10%

75%

Marginal

Retain

Elizabeth Beebe Volz

Meets Standards

86%

10%

57%

Do Not Retain

Retain

Arapahoe County Judges
Prior 2016
2020

Chantel E. Contiguglia

Meets Standards

86%

11%

Not on bench

Retain

Anne M. Ollada

Meets Standards

77%

16%

56%

Do Not Retain

Marginal

Joshua Jay Williford

Meets Standards

90%

10%

Not on bench

Retain

No Douglas, Elbert, or Lincoln county judges standing for retention in 2020.

Nineteenth Judicial District Judges (Weld)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Timothy G. Kerns

Meets Standards

95%

5%

78%

Marginal

Retain

Marcelo Adrian Kopcow

Meets Standards

82%

13%

75%

Marginal

Marginal

No Weld County Judges standing for retention in 2020.

Twentieth Judicial District Judges (Boulder)

District Judges
Prior 2014
2020

Ingrid Seftar Bakke

Meets Standards

97%

3%

89%

Retain

Retain

Patrick D. Butler

Meets Standards

78%

11%

79%

Marginal

Marginal

Judith L. LaBuda

Meets Standards

72%

25%

68%

Do Not Retain

Marginal

Nancy W. Salomone

Meets Standards

88%

6%

Not on bench

Retain

Boulder County Judge (Twentieth Judicial District cont.)
Prior 2016
2020

Jonathon P. Martin

Meets Standards

81%

16%

Not on bench

Marginal

Twenty-First Judicial District Judges (Mesa)

District Court Judge
Prior 2014
2020

Brian J. Flynn

Meets Standards

67%

21%

73%

Do Not Retain

Do Not Retain

Gretchen B. Larson

Meets Standards

91%

6%

84%

Marginal

Retain

Mesa County Judge
Prior 2016
2020

Michael J. Grattan III

Meets Standards

82%

4%

Not on bench

Marginal

Craig Peter Henderson

Meets Standards

81%

4%

72%

Do Not Retain

Marginal

Twenty-Second Judicial District Judges (Dolores, Montezuma)

No district court judges standing for retention in 2020

No county court judges standing for retention in Dolores or Montezuma counties in 2020.

Notes

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The table above is intended as brief reference to help voters decide how to vote on state judges in their judicial district who are standing for retention in November 2020.

The official judicial performance commission evaluations for state judges dates back to 1990. They have been posting percentages of attorney votes for and against a judge since 2000, and the EJF has been producing a biennial review based on the state evaluations since 2012 using the attorney votes.

Note that magistrates serve at the pleasure of the chief judge of the judicial district and are not considered state judges and; thus, are not evaluated here.

Our objective with these reports is to support the many outstanding judges who serve Colorado citizens while helping voters decide to eliminate those who are unfit for the position they hold. The basic assumption we've made is that the prosecutors, defense, and civil litigation attorneys know the judges in their judicial district best. They are the ones who deal with the judges on a daily basis and have the education and experience to judge the judges. As a result, the Equal Justice Foundation evaluation is based entirely on how these attorneys voted on a particular judge; a simple and easily understood metric that is reasonably consistent across the state. In essence, attorneys are a jury of the judge's peers.

The commissions collect more data than just attorney votes but seldom rule against judges. In 2020, of 102 judges standing for retention, the political appointees of the various commissions only ruled that two of the state's judges did not meet acceptable performance standards.

However, as a general rule, in any large organization it is reasonable to expect that roughly 10% of the individuals in the organization will be incompetent, drunkards, mentally or physically unfit, crooks, or otherwise unsuitable. Using attorney ratings we suggest their are a total of 15 judges who should not be retained. But, by the same metrics, attorneys rank 15 judges as outstanding.

Of course, sex always rears its lovely head, but copulating with the prosecutor in the judge's chambers, or trying to make a date from the bench with the cutie standing before the bar does exceed the limits of propriety. On the EJF web site in the Colorado Judges — Citizen's Review chapter we have documented all of those behaviors, and more, by one or more judges. Further, politics, religion, and ideology have no place in a fair and impartial courtroom and a judge's ruling must not be based on emotions and feelings.

If you would like to go sit in a judge's courtroom and form your own opinion we have courtwatcher forms available that should be of some assistance to you in that endeavor. We link appropriately completed courtwatcher forms to the judge's name on our web site.

However, the final decision is in the hands of the voters and we hope this document is a useful tool for helping them decide which jurists they want to keep on the bench and, more particularly, helping to remove those who have not met the high standards so essential for justice.


 

Support for the Equal Justice Foundation

Top

We would be amiss if we did not conclude with a plea for support for our work. The Equal Justice Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax deductible. It should be obvious that there are many costs to doing research like this on a continuing basis. However, the Foundation has no paid employees so all of your support goes into helping with the research and dissemination of same. We note with pride that during 2019 the research and stories on our web sites was accessed by an average 2,000 unique visitors a day by people in every state and at least 180 other countries. Our work is also commonly reposted on other sites all around the world as well.

It would be greatly appreciated if you would donate whatever you can online or by sending a check to the address below. If interested in helping with our work, or joining the Foundation, that can be done online as well, or by printing and filling out the form linked there and mailing it to the address on the form together with a check or money order for your dues. Dues are just $25/year, which are not onerous, and there is strength in numbers.

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Issues The Equal Justice Foundation Deals With

| Civilization | Families and Marriage | Global Domestic Violence | Domestic Violence Against Men in Colorado | Emerson story |

| Courts, Veteran Courts, & Civil Liberties | Prohibition & War On Drugs | Vote Fraud & Election Issues |