denver county court judges

This question is asked for each Colorado Court of Appeals Judge candidate represented on the ballot. It’s much the same in the 18th Judicial District, which includes Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln counties. Colorado’s Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation says every judge up for retention on Denver’s 2020 ballot “meets performance standards,” meaning they think everyone deserves to be reinstalled. We might bring people into the fold, into law schools, into our law firms, but we’re not really making them inclusive as partners or higher-ups where they can apply and be seriously considered for these judicial positions.”. Twelfth Judicial District (Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache Counties) District Judges Honorable Michael A. Gonzales Meets Performance Standard Honorable Amanda C. Hopkins Meets Performance Standard Conejos County Judges Honorable Kimberly D. … Six judicial districts covering 21 counties have only white district-court judges and prosecutors despite a non-white population of more than 83,000 people. The Denver County Court is the only jurisdiction in Colorado where judges are not chosen by the governor. She studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of Missouri. In his survey, Vallejos received no lower than a 2.9 out of four. At 89%, the ranks of Colorado’s public defenders are nearly as white as the prosecutors, according to state data provided to The Post through an open-records request. It’s why you’ll see unanimous approval from Denver’s commission below, while some have less-than-stellar survey reviews. The controversy centers around her demeanor, which the 17th District commission described as “demeaning and disrespectful.” State statute requires that demeanor be evaluated in these reviews – it’s also a category that put Denver County Judge Isabel Pallares in jeopardy of a no-confidence vote this year. Mayor Hancock appointed Judge Schwartz in 2017. Jordan Singer, the judge evaluations expert, said people who have just lost a case can fill out these surveys, and their emotions about the case can influence their responses. The state’s population is 4% Black and 20% Latino. "Shall Judge [candidate name] of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in Office?". • Denver Probate Court, Colorado Nearly a decade into her career, a defense attorney approached her in an empty courtroom and asked where the prosecutor was. “The only way for the process to be fair is dealing with implicit bias and group decisionmaking,” Johnson said. | Open Records Policy (CORA) “It’s just the right thing to do. Pallares’ lowest grade was a .7 out of four in “being fair and impartial to both sides of the case,” though it should be noted less than ten attorneys answered that question. So I will vote.”. We all are.”. In addition to these services, the court also processes passport applications. “Every DA I’ve worked with in my 10 years here has been interested in that topic and has tried to recruit diverse candidates,” Raynes said. So you have 17 yes/no questions to answer, should you choose to take on this civic responsibility. But when it’s not diverse, it lends to the perception that they do not … and it undermines public confidence that justice is truly equal.”. That said, the report notes only nine attorneys returned surveys, which means results for eleven questions are “not statistically significant.”. | Privacy & Security Policy Singer said all that makes Colorado’s system “thoughtful” and useful both for voters and judges who want to do better. | Privacy & Security Policy Mayor Hancock appointed Judge Rodarte in 2013. Similarly, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s office has no Black attorneys among the 80 prosecutors who work there, and only 12 Latinos, according to a statewide survey by the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council that was compiled after The Post began requesting demographics of prosecutors’ offices. What you need to know about Denver in 5 min. ✅ John Eric Elliff – Meets performance standards by a commission vote of 10-0. .courts-container hr {background-color:#f0a236;padding-bottom:2px;}, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Colorado • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Colorado, Colorado Supreme Court Denverite supporters have made the decision to financially support local journalism that matters to you. Other commissions similarly reflect the general population there. For specific voting and ballot information, please visit the Denver Elections Division. To be clear, every judicial officer in Colorado strives to have a fair and impartial bench each day. Answers from 28 attorneys: 77 percent said yes. GET BREAKING NEWS IN YOUR BROWSER. 7 percent said no. “I wholeheartedly agree that the community makeup should be reflected on the bench,” Maes said. Hickenlooper in 2011. Candidates "Shall Judge [candidate name] of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in Office?" That’s what happened to Liza Willis, senior chief deputy district attorney and legal administrator for the Denver District Attorney’s Office. The content was created and is maintained by Denver 8 TV. CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS. Has Samour met judicial performance standards? Denver’s spending plan for 2021 assumes a waning pandemic. Today, however, hiring a person of color to either job remains a challenge. “Colorado’s system is probably the best of the country,” he told Denverite. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. In many Colorado judicial districts, the racial makeup of district court judges doesn’t match the population. 22 percent said no. “By the same token, I can’t raise a claim of bias when we don’t have people applying for the position. Attorney Eric Nesbitt, newly named to the 18th Judicial District nominating commission, said he’s anxious to see what the applicant pool looks like. As for who applies to become a judge, Chief Justice Nathan Coates can’t mandate applicants offer their demographic information although Judicial Department spokesman Robert McCallum said they are working on a system to collect demographic information on a “voluntary and anonymous basis.”. In his survey, Elliff scored no less than a 2.9 out of four. .courts-container hr {background-color:#f0a236;padding-bottom:2px;}, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Colorado • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Colorado, Colorado Supreme Court Non-attorneys commented on her “compassion, patience and kindness” while one attorney made note of her “duty to the public.” She was also recognized for helping set up a virtual hearing system in the Denver jail and at Denver Health to keep business going during the pandemic. Kent Wagner, who oversees Colorado’s Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, said these surveys are just one tool commissioners use to make their decisions. Capitol Hill churches are willing to host sanctioned camping for people experiencing homelessness, Denver charities are gearing up for Thanksgiving, LIVE: What’s happening in Denver on Election Day eve. In Colorado, judges are appointed by elected officials, but voters get to decide if they can stay on their benches after their terms expire. The names of applicants are kept secret, as are interviews, discussions, and the votes of the commission. Has Welling met judicial performance standards? The Denver Post examined diversity data from the state’s payroll system, as well as data from district attorneys’ and public defenders’ offices, and found that despite a growing population of people of color in Colorado, its judicial system does not adequately represent those it serves, and in several jurisdictions not at all. “And that’s not true. All said they didn’t want to be identified because of risk to their careers. Thirty-two attorneys, however, did not self-identify their race or heritage. But the best the attorney registration division can say for now is about 2.5% of the attorneys are Black and 6.2% are Latino. These webpages are presented by the City and County of Denver. The state’s report says Tow’s opinions are “concise, well organized, logical, and understandable to the general public” and that his courtroom demeanor is “appropriate.”. In the commission’s report, he is described as “an even-handed, fair jurist who efficiently manages his docket,” though he did receive some comments from attorneys who criticized his courtroom demeanor. Numerous studies have found that Blacks and Hispanics — especially those who are poor — are more likely to face higher bail amounts, harsher charges and longer sentences in the U.S. criminal justice system. Answers from 25 attorneys: 87 percent said yes. Supporters of Adams County Judge Tomee Crespin say she did not deserve to be one of two judges statewide to receive a vote of no confidence this election cycle. Answers from 16 attorneys: 69 percent said yes. ✅ Theresa Spahn – Meets performance standards by a commission vote of 10-0. 23 percent said no. [2] To serve on this court, a judge must be a qualified elector and resident of the county and licensed to practice law in the state. Barry A. Schwartz . But each assessment takes up a lot of pages and it takes some digging to figure out how their system works. 5 percent said no. 8 percent said no. Here’s how judge ratings work and who scored what. Because Colorado’s judges are initially hired through rigorous processes that require approval from elected officials, we usually don’t have to worry about voting for someone who didn’t deserve the job in the first place. Of the state’s 682 prosecutors, 81 percent are white, the CDAC data show. Being the only person of color in any organization can weigh on a person, making them feel as if they don’t belong. “If you don’t have enough diversity in the pipeline, you’re just not getting diverse enough candidates.”. 10 percent said no. Like Adams County Judge Tomee Crespin (mentioned in the explainer section above), demeanor has been a problem for Pallares. Her survey also reveals attorneys gave her poor scores. Well, true believer, you might really like our morning newsletter. His office doesn’t collect data on how judges’ sentences may vary across race, gender or income levels. The prosecutor’s office for the 18th district has three attorneys among its 91 who identified themselves as Black, and one who said they are Latino, the CDAC data show. “It boils down to a public perception that the law is fair and impartial, and that justice is truly equal to all,” said Colorado Supreme Court Justice Monica Márquez, who’s held the position since 2010. But the position of mayor is still ripped, muscularly speaking. Your 2020 Denver ballot has 17 answer boxes for judges, ranging from the Colorado Supreme Court down to Denver County Court. John Hickenlooper in 2018. These webpages are presented by the City and County of Denver. In the survey, there were enough non-attorneys to make the rest of the questions count. Jewish Family Service says twice the number of families signed up for its Thanksgiving food boxes this year compared to the last several years. Answers from 49 attorneys: 87 percent said yes. 13 percent said no. Ballotpedia features 318,742 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers.

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