Know Your Judge: Citizen Input on District/County Judges 2018

On this page, Clear The Bench Colorado has collected comments and input from citizens across the state on judges in district and county courts, as well as links to each judge’s “official” evaluation (by name).

(Evaluations of appellate courts – the Colorado Supreme Court & Court of Appeals – are found on the Evaluations 2018 page)

Unless specifically noted, publication of any comments or recommendation on district or county court judges does NOT imply a recommendation by Clear The Bench Colorado; unfortunately, we have not had the resources (either funding or time) to review each of the 123 trial court judges on this year’s ballot. CTBC takes no official position on any of the district and county court judges seeking retention this year, and only provides the information below as a resource to inform voters.

CTBC has organized the comments received, by judicial district, as they have come in, as a community service to the hundreds of people who have called, E-mailed, Facebooked, or Tweeted asking for more information on their local judges as an alternative to the thoroughly discredited rubber-stamp “meets standards” purveyed by the “Blue Book”

Anyone wishing to comment on any judges on this year’s ballot is welcome to submit comments and responsible, documented articles of reasonable length (please, no rants or diatribes) as comments on this page or to our Sound Off! page.

(All judicial districts: another website providing recommendations on District & County Judges in Colorado)

FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Gilpin, Jefferson Counties)

District Judge: Honorable Christie A. Bachmeyer
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District Judge: Honorable Diego G. Hunt
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District Judge: Honorable Laura A. Tighe
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Jefferson County Judge: Honorable Susan Lori Fisch
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Jefferson County Judge: Honorable Mark Marrow Randall
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Jefferson County Judge: Honorable Ryan James Stuart
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Jefferson County Judge: Honorable Thomas Vance
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Jefferson County Judge: Honorable Jean Woodford
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Gilpin County Judge: Honorable David C. Taylor

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SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Denver County)

News article (“How to Fight Denver City Hall“) critiques Denver District and County Court judges
(Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, November 2016)

District Judge : Honorable Shelley I. Gilman
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District Judge: Honorable David H. Goldberg
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District Judge: Honorable Jay Sutherland Grant
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District Judge: Honorable Morris B. Hoffman
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Commentary in the Denver Post by Judge Morris B Hoffman:
https://www.denverpost.com/2014/11/14/too-many-prison-inmates-its-not-so-simple/
Here is a Judge Morris B Hoffman case mentioned in the Denver Post. https://www.denverpost.com/2018/04/20/larry-castle-foreclosure-price-gouging/

District Judge: Honorable Kenneth Martin Laff
Comments:

Here is some good information about Judge Kenneth Laff from a case in 2013 in which he sided with a window washing contractor and against Denver when Denver tried to pressure the contractor to use SEIU labor.
https://www.denverpost.com/2013/08/27/court-awards-window-washing-company-98000-in-dia-contract-dispute/

District Judge: Honorable Catherine A. Lemon
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http://coloradofoic.org/judge-blasts-denver-safetys-blanket-policy-of-denying-requests-for-internal-affairs-records/
https://coloradopolitics.com/991910-judge-orders-coken-ballot-secretary-state-buescher-appeals-ruling/
https://www.vaildaily.com/news/court-upholds-injunction-on-colo-campaign-rule/

District Judge: Honorable Jennifer B. Torrington
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Denver County Judge: Honorable Johnny C. Barajas

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Denver County Judge: Honorable Brian Thomas Campbell
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Denver County Judge: Honorable Andrea Eddy
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Denver County Judge: Honorable Adam J. Espinosa
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Denver County Judge: Honorable Olympia Z. Fay
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Denver County Judge: Honorable Clarisse Gonzales
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Denver County Judge: Honorable Kerri Lombardi
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Denver County Judge: Honorable Chelsea Malone
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THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Huerfano, Las Animas Counties)

No Third Judicial District judges standing for retention.
No county court judges standing for retention in Huerfano and Las Animas Counties.

FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (El Paso, Teller Counties)

District Judge: Honorable Eric Bentley
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District Judge: Honorable Linda Margaret Billings-Vela
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District Judge: Honorable Jill M. Brady
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District Judge: Honorable Robert L. Lowrey
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District Judge: Honorable Timothy Schutz
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District Judge: Honorable Larry Edward Schwartz
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District Judge: Honorable Scott A. Sells
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District Judge: Honorable David L. Shakes
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Info from Jeff Crank about judges on the 2018 ballot, 4th district and above:
http://www.jeffcrank.com/2018/10/jeff-cranks-2018-federal-statewide.html

El Paso County Judge: Honorable Christopher Edward Acker
El Paso County Judge: Honorable Lawrence D. Martin
El Paso County Judge: Honorable Douglas J. Miles
El Paso County Judge: Honorable Ann M. Rotolo

Teller County Judge: Honorable Theresa L. Kilgore

FIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Clear Creek, Eagle, Lake, Summit Counties)

No Fifth Judicial District judges standing for retention
No county court judges standing for retention in Clear Creek, Eagle, Lake and Summit Counties.

SIXTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Archuleta, La Plata, San Juan Counties)

No Sixth Judicial District judges standing for retention

Archuleta County Judge: Honorable Justin P. Fay

No county court judges standing for retention in San Juan and La Plata Counties.

SEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel Counties)

District Judge: Honorable Steven L. Schultz
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District Judge: Honorable Keri A. Yoder
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Montrose County Judge: Honorable Ben A. Morris

San Miguel County Judge: Honorable Susanne J. Ross

No county court judges standing for retention in Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, and Ouray Counties.

EIGHTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Jackson, Larimer Counties)

No Eighth Judicial District judges standing for retention

Jackson County Judge: Honorable Cindy Wilson

Larimer County Judge: Honorable Thomas L. Lynch

Larimer County Judge: Honorable Peter E. Schoon Jr.

NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Garfield, Pitkin, Rio Blanco Counties)

District Judge: Honorable James Berkley Boyd
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Concerning Judge James Berkley Boyd, of the 9th District , in Colorado. I have not personally had any dealings with this judge, but I have friends who have been treated terribly unfairly by him. He seems to have an issue with women, and he doesn’t take the recommendation of professionals, who testify on behalf of these women, and rules against the women, for no understandable reason. Sometimes his rulings put children in danger, as he’s so biased towards the man, even if there is proof that the man is unstable. He makes his decisions based on the ‘good old boy’ network, rather than the law.

District Judge: Honorable Anne K. Norrdin
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District Judge: Honorable Christopher G. Seldin
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Garfield County Judge: Honorable Paul H. Metzger

Garfield County Judge: Honorable Jonathan Bruce Pototsky

Pitkin County Judge: Honorable Erin Fernandez-Ely

Rio Blanco County Judge: Honorable Laurie Anne Noble

TENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Pueblo County)

District Judge: Honorable Deborah R. Eyler

District Judge: Honorable Kim Karn

Pueblo County Judge: Honorable Steven B. Fieldman

Pueblo County Judge: Honorable David Lee Lobato

ELEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, Park Counties)

District Judge: Honorable Ramsey Lama

District Judge: Honorable Lynette Mary Wenner

Custer County Judge: Honorable Amanda Jean Hunter

Park County Judge: Honorable Brian L. Green

No county court judges standing for retention in Chaffee and Fremont Counties

TWELFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache Counties)

District Judge: Honorable Pattie P. Swift

Alamosa County Judge: Honorable Daniel A. Walzl

Costilla County Judge: Honorable Kimberly Lynn Wood

Rio Grande County Judge: Honorable Barbara A. Zollars

Saguache County Judge: Honorable Anna Ulrich

No county court judges standing for retention in Conejos and Mineral Counties.

THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Kit Carson, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Yuma Counties)

District Judge: Honorable Michael Keith Singer

District Judge: Honorable Charles M. Hobbs

District Judge: Honorable Carl S. McGuire III

Kit Carson County Judge: Honorable Michael K. Grinnan

Washington County Judge: Honorable Kelly S. Hansen

No county court judges standing for retention in Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, and Yuma Counties.

FOURTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Grand, Moffat, Routt Counties)

District Judge: Honorable Michael A. O’Hara III

Grand County Judge: Honorable Nicholas Catanzarite

Moffat County Judge: Honorable Sandra H. Gardner

Routt County Judge: Honorable James H. Garrecht

FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Baca, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Prowers Counties)

District Judge: Honorable Michael Davidson

Baca County Judge: Honorable Debra M. Gunkel

Cheyenne County Judge: Honorable Gerald Keefe

Kiowa County Judge: Honorable Gary W. Davis

Prowers County Judge: Honorable Curtis Lane Porter

SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Bent, Crowley, Otero Counties)

No Sixteenth Judicial District judges standing for retention

Otero County Judge: Honorable Douglas R. Manley

No county court judges standing for retention in Bent and Crowley Counties.

SEVENTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Adams, Broomfield Counties)

District Judge: Honorable Jaclyn Brown
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District Judge: Honorable Sharon D. Holbrook
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District Judge: Honorable Edward Moss
Comments: noteworthy that Judge Moss has been targeted by advertisements broadcast on radio by a group calling itself “Great Judges for a Great Colorado” which appears to be funded primarily by oil & gas money (1st report due 29 October). CTBC is not affiliated with this group, and takes no position for or against its recommendations, but notes the ads consistent with CTBC’s policy on seeking all relevant data).

District Judge: Honorable Donald S. Quick
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Adams County Judge: Honorable Brian Nathaniel Bowen

Adams County Judge: Honorable Michael A. Cox

Adams County Judge: Honorable Cindy Dang

Adams County Judge: Honorable Byron Lynn Howell

Adams County Judge: Honorable Sabino E. Romano

Adams County Judge: Honorable Dianna L. Roybal

Broomfield County Judge: Honorable Amy Elizabeth Bockman

EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, Lincoln Counties)

District Judge : Honorable Phillip L. Douglass

The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance finds, by vote of 6 to 3 with one recusal, that Judge Phillip L. Douglass DOES NOT MEET PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

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District Judge: Honorable Patricia Herron
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District Judge: Honorable Gary M. Kramer
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District Judge: Honorable Ben L. Leutwyler III
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District Judge: Honorable Robert R. Lung
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District Judge: Honorable Bonnie Heather McLean
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District Judge: Honorable Peter F. Michaelson
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District Judge: Honorable Michael Spear
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District Judge: Honorable Shay K. Whitaker
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Arapahoe County Judge: Honorable Colleen Clark

Arapahoe County Judge: Honorable Kelly LaFave

Arapahoe County Judge: Honorable Michael J. Roche