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P.O. Box 20,000 (zip: 81502-5030)
Grand Junction, Colorado 81501
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.
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Promoted to district court judge by Gov. Polis on July 19, 2019. Formerly a magistrate. |
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Only 65% of attorneys voted to Retain while 26% voted Do Note Retain. |
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Appointed district court judge in 1987. promoted to chief judge October 1, 2005. |
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Appointed district court judge by Gov. Polis on October 26, 2022. Previously he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney. |
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Concerns that he favors prosecution, judicial temperament, judicial consistency, and unpredictable rulings. Judge Flynn is the subject of a federal lawsuit in 2020 stating that innocent people are being illegally arrested for violating protection orders that no longer are valid. In April 2021 the ACLU filed a lawsuit against Judge Flynn. He and the sheriff caused a woman to be held in jail for 15 days for no good reason. |
Appointed by acting governor Keith King in September 2004. Stepped up to bench in January 2005. |
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Only 67% of attorneys voted to Retain while 21% voted Do Not Retain. |
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Judge Flynn, Court Clerk Charlene Benton, and Court Supervisor Ruth Ann Brigham — knew for years that the judicial district's system of negating protection orders after defendants have served their sentences was broken, and failed to address it. As one result, Elson Foster was arrested seven times in 2018 for violating the same protection order even though that order should have been posted in the court's computers as being no longer valid. |
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Judge Flynn allowed four jurors to serve on woman's trial even though all volunteered they would believe police officers over the word of a civilian simply due to their status as law enforcement. |
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Imposed an illegal sentence on defendant. Reversed on appeal 20CA0471 People v Webber July 22, 2021 |
Stepped down September 9, 2024, to take position as the U.S. District Court's part-time magistrate judge in Grand Junction. |
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Appointed by Bill Owens September 2006. Formerly a state prosecutor in Florida. |
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Promoted to district court judge by Gov. Polis on May 31, 2024. Previously he was a county court judge. |
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Promoted to district court judge by Gov. Hickenlooper in November 2016. |
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Appointed county court judge by Gov. Owens in July 2006. Previously a deputy district attorney. |
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9!% of attorneys voted to Retain and just 6% voted Do Not Retain. |
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Attorneys graded her below average of other district court judges statewide. Of particular concern was her overall application and knowledge of the law and ability to apply that law to the facts. Additionally, she was perceived as being significantly more biased for the prosecution in criminal cases than other judges statewide. |
Appointed district court judge by Gov. Ritter on June 14, 2007. |
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Stood for retention again in 2016. EJF recommendation: Do Not Retain Only a pathetic 59% of attorneys voted to Retain while fully 29% voted Do Not Retain. Obviously she has not learned or improved over the past six years. |
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She did much better this time, with 84% of attorneys voting to Retain and just 9% voting Do Not Retain. |
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Ordered father to take psychological treatment based on mother's mere allegation that he was sexually abusing their child without any criminal charges or conviction. Reversed on appeal. |
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Censured by Colorado Supreme Court for inappropriate sexual contact with another lawyer. |
Resigned September 13, 2022, amid ongoing disciplinary investigation. |
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Appointed district court judge by Gov. Hickenlooper in July 2016. Previously he was in private practice. |
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Judge Timbreza was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence and Careless Driving in June 2019. Driving home from a party he crashed into roadside trees and bushes while avoiding a collision with another vehicle. He pled guilty to Driving While Ability Impaired and was sentenced in September 2019 to one year of probation, alcohol monitoring, a $200 fine, 36-hours of useful public service, and two days of suspended jail time. The Colorado Supreme Court publicly censured him and imposed a twenty-eight-day suspension of his judicial duties without pay. |
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Appointed county court judge by Gov. Polis on July 10, 2024. Previously he was a Supervising Deputy State Public Defender in the Grand Junction Office of the State Public Defender. |
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Promoted to district court judge in 2006. Retired January 2017. |
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Appointed county court judge by Gov. Hickenlooper in January 2017. Replaced Judge Larson. Previously in private practice. |
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This time 92% of attorneys voted to Retain while just 8% voted Do Not Retain. |
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Promoted to district court judge by Gov. Polis on May 31, 2024. |
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Promoted to district court judge by Gov. Hickenlooper in November 2016. |
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Appointed county court judge by Gov. Owens in July 2006. Previously a deputy district attorney. |
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EJF recommendation: Do Not Retain Just 71% of attorneys voted to Retain, virtually identical with his low rating in the 2010 review. |
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Greatly improved, and this time 95% of attorneys voted to Retain and just 5% voted Do Not Retain. |
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Promoted to district court judge by Gov. Polis on July 19, 2019. |
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For unknown reasons this jurist(?) was still on the bench in 2022. Has the chief judge no standards? |
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While acting as a visiting magistrate in 2010 he denied restraining order to 7 th Judicial District Attorney Myrl Serra's mistress in September 2010 claiming unwanted sexual advances did not constitute a threat. DA Myrl Serra was arrested October 1, 2010, and later convicted after multiple complaints from women about his sexual advances, assaults, and official conduct. |
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In 2008 she won a judicial excellence award, illustrating the low standards for Colorado jurists. |
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While acting as a visiting magistrate in 2008 she denied restraining order to 7 th Judicial District Attorney Myrl Serra's mistress in 2008 claiming no threat of physical harm. DA Myrl Serra was arrested October 1, 2010, and later convicted after multiple complaints from women about his sexual advances, assaults, and official conduct. |
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| 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 — Twenty Second Judicial District |
| Back — Twentieth Judicial District |
This site is supported and maintained by the Equal Justice Foundation.