This site is copyrighted, supported, and maintained by the Equal Justice Foundation.
| EJF Home | Join the EJF | Comments? | Get EJF newsletter | Newsletters |
| DV Home | Abstract | Contents | Tables | Index | Bibliography |
| Chapter 7 — Colorado Judges — Citizen's Review |
| Next — First Judicial District |
| Back — Colorado Supreme Court |
Established under Section 1 of Article VI of the Colorado Constitution and Section 13-4-101, et seq., C.R.S. (Colorado Revised Statutes), the Court of Appeals has initial jurisdiction, with exceptions, over appeals from the Colorado District Courts, Denver Probate Court, and Denver Juvenile Court. In addition, the Court of Appeals has specific appellate jurisdiction over decisions originating from a number of state administrative boards and agencies, including the Industrial Claim Appeals Office.
If you intend to appeal a decision of a lower court you must file a Notice of Appeal and pay the filing fee within 45 days of the date the decision was handed down. Other conditions and time limits also apply. Note, however, that an appeal of a magistrate's decision must first be made to a district judge in the judicial district.
Reviews of the Court of Appeals' decisions are directed to the Colorado Supreme Court.
The Colorado Court of Appeals, consisting of 22 judges who serve eight-year terms, is the state's intermediate appellate court. The Court sits in three-member divisions to decide cases. The Chief Judge, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, assigns a judge to each judicial district, and rotates their assignments. The judicial district assignments for each judge as of October 2018 are shown in Table 15.
The mission of the Court of Appeals is to provide the citizens of Colorado with clear, impartial, and timely resolutions of appealed orders and judgments as provided by law. The Court of Appeals was created by statute; accordingly, jurisdiction is limited to the areas specified by state statute, together with the inherent powers granted to all courts.
In practice, however, the Colorado Court of Appeals largely functions to rubber stamp the more idiotic decisions made by district court judges, especially in family law cases. To conceal their mostly irrational rulings and avoid setting disastrous and destructive precedents they don't publish most of their decisions. One of the objectives of the Equal Justice Foundation is to expose the tyranny and destruction rained down on citizens by the multiple failures of the Court of Appeals to uphold the state constitution and the law. Thus, we especially welcome examples of unpublished bilge and balderdash from this court
In 2012 the Equal Justice Foundation began a rating system of justices standing for retention based on the votes of attorneys who submit responses to surveys sent to them by the Judicial Performance Review Commission. The idea was first put forward by the Rocky Mountain News in an October 13, 2002, editorial. Whether a “Retain” or “Do Not Retain” is recommended is based on the criteria:
• Retain: More than 85% of attorneys voted to retain;
• Marginal: in 2012 the standard was that only 80-85% of attorneys voted to retain. In 2014 review this was broadened to 75-85% and in 2018 the standard was expanded again to 71-85% of attorneys voted to retain;
• Do Not Retain: In 2012 the standard was less than 80% of attorneys voted to retain. In 2014 review this was changed to <75% of attorneys voted to retain and in 2018 this was lowered even further to less than or equal <=70% suggesting judicial standards continue to decline.
|
Appointed by Gov. HIckenlooper in August 2013 and stepped up to the bench in October 2013. Formerly presiding judge in Denver Juvenile Court. |
|||
|
Appointed by Gov. Hickenlooper December 2013. No prior judicial experience. |
|||
|
Just 77% of attorneys voted to Retain while 14% voted Do Not Retain |
|||
|
Only 64% of attorneys voted to Retain and 32% voted Do Not Retain in this evaluation yet he was promoted to chief judge. |
|||
|
Colorado Supreme Court suspended Booras with pay March 30, 2018, and appointed three-judge panel to oversee an ethics investigation. Later they censured her and required her to pay costs. |
Resigned January 31, 2019, after Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline recommended her removal from office after sending demeaning and degrading emails to her married lover. One email referred to fellow appeals judge Terry Fox, a Latina, as “the little Mexican.” In another email, Booras referred to her ex-husband's wife, who is Native American, as “the squaw.” Apparently her behavior came to light after her married lover tried to break off the relationship and she began to harass him. Apparently adultery wasn't an issue. |
||
|
Appointed by Gov. Polis in June 2019. Previously a District Court Judge in the 17 th Judicial District |
|||
|
Only 85% of attorneys voted to Retain while 15% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
No longer on bench as of September 2014 but as of November 2018 remains a senior judge. |
|||
|
Retired July 1, 2015 after 21 years on bench but as of September 2020 remains a public menace as a senior judge. |
|||
|
Upheld rulings entered by magistrate who did not know the law and was not qualified to sit on the bench (not a licensed attorney). Sanctioned petitioner for “frivolous argument” and forbade her to appear again pro se in any court. |
|||
|
Affirmed fraud — even stating in the order that there was of evidence of such. |
|||
|
Appointed June 30, 2008, but left bench in January 2011 to return to private practice. |
|||
|
Stood for retention in 2002. Attorneys concerned that prior work in Attorney General's Office influences decisions in criminal cases. |
|||
|
Only 79% of attorneys voted to Retain, but just 3% voted Do Not Retain |
|||
|
Upheld ruling in 97DR1971 that discovery need not be completed before hearing despite court orders compelling such discovery. |
|||
|
Upheld rulings entered by magistrate who did not know the law and was not qualified to sit on the bench (not a licensed attorney). |
|||
|
No longer on bench as of September 2014 but, as of September 2020, remains a public menace as a senior judge. |
|||
|
Upheld ruling in 97DR1971 that discovery need not be completed before hearing despite court orders compelling such discovery. |
|||
|
Appointed by Gov. Hickenlooper in June 2012. No prior judicial experience. |
|||
|
Appointed by Gov. Hickenlooper September 2018. Previously a public defender. |
|||
|
Appointed September 1, 2010, by Gov. Ritter. Replaced Connelly. |
|||
|
EJF recommendation: Do Not Retain Only 69% of attorneys voted to Retain |
|||
|
She showed only very marginal improvement in 2022 evaluation with just 71% of attorneys voting to retain but 21% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
87% of attorneys voted to Retain and 0% voted Do Not Retain this time. |
|||
|
Promoted to Colorado Supreme Court by Gov. Hickenlooper in June 2015. |
|||
|
Appointed by Gov. Polis on December 2, 2019 and sworn in on February 27, 2020. Previously she was in private practice with Holland and Hart. |
|||
|
Only a pathetic 57% of attorneys voted to Retain and 14% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
April 10, 2018 article in Grand Junction Daily Sentinel outlines efforts to remove this judge. |
Retired in February 2018 after 16 years on the bench. Doubtful that he will be missed but somehow he remains a senior judge as of September 2020.F |
||
|
Only 78% of attorneys voted to retain while 22% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
Took the bench on January 9, 2019. Previously he was with the Public Officials Unit, State Services Section, Colorado Attorney General's Office since 2009. |
|||
|
Just 79% of attorneys voted to Retain and the remaining 21% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
Appointed by Gov. Hickenlooper July 2015. Prior experience in private practice and public defender. |
|||
|
Only a pitiful 65% of attorneys voted to Retain and 12% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
Affirmed an eviction procedure for which the lower court had no jurisdiction, then misrepresented the facts in the written order to cover up the abuses committed by the lower court — set a precedent holding that purchase of a tax lien at an auction conveys all property rights without need for foreclosure or any prior court procedure in violation of established law. |
|||
|
Appointed by Gov. Polis on December 2, 2019, and sworn in on February 13, 2020. Previously she was with the Colorado Attorney General's Office, first as an Assistant Attorney General, then in 2017 as Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Business and Licensing Section. |
|||
|
82% of attorneys voted to Retain but only 6% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
April 10, 2018 article in Grand Junction Daily Sentinel outlines efforts to remove this judge. His years on the bench have not improved his performance. |
|||
|
Stood for retention again in 2016. |
|||
|
Affirmed fraud — even stating in the order that there was evidence of such. |
|||
|
No longer on bench as of December 2007 but as of November 2018 remains a senior judge. |
|||
|
Appointed to Court of Appeals in July 2021. Previously with Colorado Department of Law as Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Health Care and Public Officials Units. |
|||
|
Just 88% of attorneys voted to Retain, a not very impressive showing. |
|||
|
Appointed November 16, 2022. with Cooper Ramp Cage Bucar Lewis and specialized in domestic relations at trial and appellate levels. |
|||
|
Did not file for retention in 2018 and her eight-year term ended January 7, 2019. |
|||
|
Appointed by Gov. Hickenlooper on September 4, 2018, to succeed Judge Lichtenstein effective January 9, 2019. He was previously in private practice. |
|||
|
88% of attorneys voted to Retain but 12% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
Affirmed an eviction procedure for which the lower court had no jurisdiction, then misrepresented the facts in the written order to cover up the abuses committed by the lower court — set a precedent holding that purchase of a tax lien at an auction conveys all property rights without need for foreclosure or any prior court procedure in violation of established law. |
|||
|
Promoted to Court of Appeals by Gov. Polis on November 9, 2023. Previously on the Juvenile Court in the 2 nd Judicial District. |
|||
|
Appointed by Gov. Hickenlooper in October 2012. No prior judicial experience. |
|||
|
Only 65% of attorneys voted to Retain while 25% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
An Oct. 13, 2002, Rocky Mountain News article pointed out that after 24 years on the bench he was “weak in knowledge of the law” by his own admission. |
Stepped down in March 2005. He isn't missed although this mediocrity remained a senior judge until 2019. |
||
|
Stood for retention in 2002: Attorneys were critical in three areas: (1) rendering well-written and understandable opinions, (2) managing cases with minimum delay, and (3) making correct decisions based upon the law and facts. Commission expressed concern that, despite 24-years experience on the trial bench he does not met the higher standards required for appellate court judges. |
|||
|
In a Kafkaesque scenario a citizen was charged with felony perjury for what she didn't say in response to questions that were never asked in voir dire during jury selection. |
|||
|
Appointed by Gov. Polis in March, 2019. Previously she was in private practice. |
|||
|
Only 78% of attorneys voted to Retain while 11% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
Upheld ruling in 97DR1971 that discovery need not be completed before hearing despite court orders compelling such discovery. |
|||
|
Affirmed fraud — even stating in the order that there was of evidence of such. |
|||
|
88% of attorneys voted to Retain in this cycle but 12% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
His performance ratings continue to decline. This time only 77% of attorneys voted to Retain. |
|||
|
No longer on bench as of June 2009 but remains a senior judge as of September 2020. |
|||
|
Reversed Henry Nieto in case 96 CR 91 and restored the rights and integrity of jurors. |
|||
|
Appointed March 4, 1994 Affirmed an eviction procedure for which the lower court had no jurisdiction, then misrepresented the facts in the written order to cover up the abuses committed by the lower court — set a precedent holding that purchase of a tax lien at an auction conveys all property rights without need for foreclosure or any prior court procedure in violation of established law. |
|||
|
Stepped down in July 2012 to return to U.S. Attorney's office as chief of the appellate division. |
|||
|
Appointed by Gov. Polis in November 2021 and sworn in on August 19, 2022. Previously a district court judge in 4 th Judicial District. |
|||
|
Only 78% of attorneys voted to Retain. Not an impressive showing. |
|||
|
Did not file for retention and stepped down February 25, 2020. However, he remains a senior judge as of September 202. |
|||
|
Her performance has not improved and this time only 71% of attorneys voted to Retain while 22% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
Appointed to CoA by Gov. Hickenlooper January 2018. Previously district judge in 17 th Judicial District. |
|||
|
Only 66% of attorneys voted to Retain on CoA while 31% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
No longer on bench as of June 2009 but, unfortunately for Colorado citizens, she remains a senior judge as of September 2020. |
|||
|
Upheld rulings entered by magistrate who did not know the law and was not qualified to sit on the bench (not a licensed attorney). |
|||
|
Did not stand for retention and term ended February 29, 2020. |
|||
|
April 10, 2018 article in Grand Junction Daily Sentinel outlines efforts to remove this judge. |
Promoted to Court of Appeals by Gov. Hickenlooper in January 2017. Previously district judge in 17 th Judicial District. |
||
|
84% of attorneys voted to Retain while 16% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
|
Appointed Gov. Polis on December 2, 2019 and sworn in on March 2, 2020. Previously he was in private practice as a partner at Messner Reeves. |
|||
|
Just 71% of attorneys voted to Retain and 11% voted Do Not Retain. |
|||
| EJF Home | Join the EJF | Comments? | Get EJF newsletter | Newsletters |
| DV Home | Abstract | Contents | Tables | Index | Bibliography |
| Chapter 7 — Colorado Judges — Citizen's Review |
| Next — First Judicial District |
| Back — Colorado Supreme Court |
This site is supported and maintained by the Equal Justice Foundation.