Colorado Judicial Institute
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COLORADO JUDICIAL INSTITUTE Volume 10, Issue 4 4th Quarter, 2014 In this Issue: “Know Your Judge” Also Means CJI Inaugural Education Summit —Page 2 “Know the Process” By Cynthia Ophaug-Johansen, CJI Staff CJI Continues Scholarships to Family Law Institute It’s election season in Colorado. You “The key is that the commissioners are —Page 2 now know more about the candidates on citizen volunteers,” says Kent Wagner, your ballot than you do about most of Executive Director of the Office of Honorees for 2014 Judicial Excellence for Colorado Dinner your family members. And, as an Judicial Performance Evaluation. —Page 3 informed Coloradan, you’ve researched “Anyone can submit an application from the judges up for retention in your district IAALS Pilot Program Reduces our website.” Cost of Civil Cases either in your blue book or by reading —Page 4 their judicial performance evaluations Commissioners review information from: In the News... online. You are as informed as you could Courtroom observations —Page 4 possibly be. Or are you? Self-evaluations written by the judges Decisions/opinions CJI Judicial Education Fund Has Strong 2014 This year it’s not just the judges that are Case management statistics for the —Page 5 under attack but the judicial performance judges evaluation process itself. Misinformation Legal Resource Day Sponsored Interviews with a representative of the by CJI about how judges are evaluated and who District Attorney and a representative —Page 5 evaluates them hurts the credibility of of the Public Defender, if requested Colorado’s merit selection system. Reserve Your Seats Now! Interviews with judges and other CJI Judicial Excellence for interested persons Colorado’s judicial performance Colorado Dinner Public hearings —Page 6 evaluations are overseen by state and Written information and district level commissions under the CJI Executive Committee: documentation submitted to the direction of the state’s Office of Judicial K.C. Groves—Chair Commission by interested persons Randell Bartlett—Vice Chair Performance Evaluation. The Chief Survey report results compiled from Peter D. Willis—Vice Chair Justice, the Governor, the President of the David A. Hall—Treasurer attorneys (including prosecutors, Senate and the Speaker of the House Thomas R. O'Donnell—Secretary public defenders, and private appoint the state and local commission attorneys), non-attorneys (including CJI Staff: members to four-year terms. Each jurors, litigants, law enforcement Executive Director commission is a 10-member body Amy Ostheimer personnel, court employees, court comprised of four attorneys and six non- Director of Marketing and Administration interpreters, probation office attorneys. Cynthia Ophaug-Johansen employees, social service department Executive Assistant employees, and crime victims), and Laura Rothenberg The state commission is responsible for other judges. the evaluation of court of appeals judges and supreme court justices. Each of The surveys are conducted by Research Judicial Colorado’s 22 judicial districts has its & Polling, Inc., an independent research Institute own commission that conducts company. Using court data and data from evaluations of the district’s county and P.O Box 118 Attorney Registration, the Colorado Broomfield, CO 80038-0118 district judges. (303) 766-7501 District Attorneys’ Council, and State www.ColoradoJudicialInstitute.org Continued Under “Judicial Performance Evaluations” on Page 6 CJI Hosts Inaugural Educational Summit: The Judges’ Perspective; Colorado’s Fair and Impartial Judicial System By Amy Ostheimer, CJI Executive Director With the objective of discussing the role of politics in selecting judges, either by the election system or by the merit selection system, CJI invited knowledgeable and experienced speakers to present the facts. The speakers were: Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Nancy E. Rice; Bert Brandenburg, Executive Director, Justice at Stake; Chief Judge Janice Davidson (ret.), Senior Advisor, Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System; Judge Russell Carparelli (ret.), Executive Director, American Judicature Society; Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Richard L. Gabriel and District Court Judge David Shakes, 4th Judicial District. Court of Appeals Judge Rich Gabriel listens The program was held the morning of September 12, as Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice 2014, in the prestigious Ralph L. Carr Justice Center, Nancy Rice speaks during the inaugural CJI Education Summit. providing an opportunity for the attendees to tour the award winning Learning Center and the Supreme Court Library. Following breakfast, the participants gathered in organizations keep a watchful eye and stand guard to the Supreme Court Courtroom for the program. protect Colorado’s judicial system. The audience quickly learned of the advantages of a merit A “Judges’ Panel,” facilitated by Judge Russell Carparelli, selection system, a system adopted by the people of ran the gamut of “why did you apply to become a judge” Colorado in 1966, and the potential biases and impartiality to “how do you decide cases?” There was a take away for that come with the election of judges. Bert Brandenburg all members of the diverse audience. Be it a better provided a national update and voiced some concern understanding of Colorado’s merit selection/retention regarding the vulnerability of the merit selection system. system and its vulnerabilities, the difference between trial Judge Davidson, on the other hand, was more optimistic in judges and appellate court judges, getting better her historical overview of Colorado’s judicial system. In acquainted with those who interpret the law or filling the spite of the various viewpoints regarding the fragility of need for additional CLE credits, the general consensus was Colorado’s merit selection system, CJI and its partner the same. It was a superb program. CJI Offers Scholarships to CO Bar Annual Family Law Institute Mary Dilworth, Marketing Manager, Colorado Bar Association CLE There were more than 450 attendees at the 2014 Family (ret.), Hon. Emily Anderson, and Magistrate Judith Law Institute. It was presented by the Colorado Bar Goeke talked on “The Judicial Experience of ENA (Early Association Family Law Section, in cooperation with the Neutral Assessment).” Hon. Angela Arkin, Magistrate CBA Juvenile Law Section, Colorado Collaborative Elizabeth Brodsky, and Magistrate Clay Hurst served on Divorce Professionals; the Metropolitan Denver IDC; the the “Excelling in the Courtroom: Preparation, Colorado AFCC, and Colorado Bar Association CLE. A Presentation & Professionalism” panel, moderated by number of judges and magistrates spoke, including Hon. attorney Cyndy Ciancio. Victor Reyes on “The Interface Between Domestic Violence and Parental Responsibilities,” and the Hon. Gary Abrams, Executive Director of Colorado Bar Elizabeth Leith on “Unraveling Competence.” Association CLE, says, “The judges participating in the institute are absolutely vital to the success and quality of Two excellent judicial panels were offered as breakout the programming. Their contribution is invaluable.” sessions. Justice William Hood, Hon. Anne Mansfield 2 CJI Honors Three Outstanding Judges at Upcoming Judicial Excellence for Colorado Dinner By Amy Ostheimer, CJI Executive Director On the evening of November 12, 2014, three jurists will be Judge Sabino E. Romano honored by the Colorado Judicial Institute (CJI) and will Adams County, 17th Judicial District receive CJI’s Judicial Excellence Award. CJI first recognized outstanding jurists in 2000 and has had the Judge Romano, a Colorado pleasure of honoring forty-four jurists for their exemplary native, engaged in private duty on the bench. This year the number will increase to practice from 1974 to 1983 forty-seven award recipients. when he was appointed County Court Magistrate The 12th Annual Judicial Excellence for Colorado Dinner in Arapahoe County. In takes place Wednesday, November 12, 2014, at Denver December of 1986, Judge Marriott City Center. Tickets are available on CJI’s Romano was appointed as website at www.ColoradoJudicialInstitute.org. This an Adams County Judge dinner benefits CJI’s Judicial Education Fund, Our Courts by Governor Richard and other CJI programs. Lamm and has served in that position for 28 years. He graduated from the University of Denver in 1971 with The 2014 CJI Judicial Excellence Award Recipients: degrees in Political Science and Geology, and was immediately accepted to the University of Denver Law Chief Judge Claude W. Appel School, graduating in 1973. 3rd Judicial District Judge Romano, known as one of the friendliest judges in Judge Appel was the 17th J.D., has handled the full scope of County Court appointed as a District cases, however, he exclusively handles civil cases. He is Judge in March 1986; he responsible for processing approximately 31,000 cases and served as a County Judge presides over 400 trials per year. from January 1985 to March 1986. Prior to his Magistrate Marianne M. Tims appointment as a judge, he 1st Judicial District was in private practice in Longmont, Colorado, then Prior to her swearing in in served as a Deputy Jefferson County in 2004, District Attorney in the Third Judicial District and had a Magistrate Tims was a private practice there. He received his B.A. degree from county attorney in both Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in 1974 and Jefferson and Arapahoe his law degree from the University of Colorado in 1978. counties handling child