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Judge John Scipione As with others, Judge Scipione's case involved years of misbehavior before any action was taken. Like the other judges, in his last evaluation, the Judicial Performance Commission recommended that voters retain Judge Scipione. To Story To Story In 2021, news reporting on the Masias allegations addressed a judicial applicant who failed to disclose misconduct allegations. That news story is now difficult to find. In 2022, Judge Scipione was disciplined for failing to make disclosures in his application to be a judge. Since then, the Colorado Supreme Court has removed the question from the application to be a judge. 2021 Story Questionaire Story To Story To Evaluation

Judge Peter Michaelson To Story To Evaluation

The Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline reports that it has taken "corrective action" with more than 250 judges. Few of these judges needing "correction" are publicly identified. Now and then, the Discipline Commission will describe a disciplined judge by misconduct, but not name them. Are you about to vote for one of these judges? You have no way of knowing. Annual Report This judge would have decided many cases involving the racial and ethnic groups the judge slurred. Are those decisions polluted by the judge's bigotry? Did the parties ever get notice of a possible basis for appeal? Did the Performance Commission recommend this judge to voters? Did you vote for the judge? Are you about to vote for this judge? You have no way of knowing.

Judge Anne K. Woods This a rare instance of a judge voted out of office. This example shows how the performance evaluation and retention election process functions. See the story develop across these articles (linked below). January Vote "No" Vote "Yes" November December Jan 23 Retrospective

Judge Lance Timbreza To Story To Story To Story To Story Recommended for retention by voters To Evaluation

Judge Jonathan Walker To Story To Story To Story Recommended for retention by voters To Evaluation

Tim Masters Judges Tim Masters was wrongfully convicted of murder. His flawed conviction was upheld by the Colorado Supreme Court but DNA evidence proved his innocence. After a decade in prison, he was released and his prosecutors were found to have acted unethically. By then, they were judges. The Masters case was widely reported in national and local media and many sources are available. The case even has its own Wikipedia entry and a TV documentary. Wikepedia Entry 48 Hours Episode Two prosecutors on the case, now elevated to judges, would be censured for unethical conduct. Reporting revealed that one had been secretly disciplined before the Masters case. We don't know if the Nominating Commission knew this when the lawyer was appointed as a judge. To Story Even with this history, the Performance Commission recommended that voters retain the two disgraced prosecutors as judges. To Column Local citizens organized a grassroots movement opposed to keeping the two censured prosecutors on the bench as judges. To Story Colorado voters would override the Performance Commission and oust the censured judges. Is this an example of judicial accountability working or voters overruling a broken system? To Story

Judge Andrew Armatas also known as "JudgeTouchy Feely" This judge's misbehavior was so well known in the judiciary that the staff had a nickname for him. Instead of stopping it, they protected the judge. When a staff member complained about the sexual harassment, she was fired in retaliation. The judiciary didn't even feel the need to hide their purpose in punishing her for complaining about the harassment. Even though they had to pay damages, did the judiciary consider the judge's sexual harassment to be unethical? Can you find any record of him being censured? To Story To Story To Evaluation

Judge Laurie Booras To Story To Evaluation

Judge Robert A. Rand Judge Rand's story is similar to others like Judges Woods, Chase, and Kiesnowski. His misbehavior was well known but accepted by the Judicial Department for years. Like the other judges with long histories of misbehavior, in his last evaluation, the Judicial Performance Commission recommended that voters retain Judge Rand. To Story To Story To Story To Story To Story To Story To Story Recommended for retention by the voters To Evaluation

Resources Speaking Out to Defend the Rule of Law Professor of philosophy Gerald Postema notes that everyone talks today about the "rule of law" but few seem to know what it is. He provides an engaging discussion of its meaning and importance. Prof. Postema also presents a compelling case for the necessity of holding people in power, like judges and our institutions charged with upholding law, accountable to the rule of law--a responsibility that is "almost sacred." Link to Prof. Postema's Article The Memo View the "Memo" that started it all. The "Memo" had been compiled by senior judicial department executives. They laid out instances of judicial misconduct which they alleged had been covered up in Colorado's Judiciary. Link to the Memo The Judicial Department's Version The Colorado Judiciary hired two law firms to investigate under its control. They were Robert Troyer ("RCT") and the Investigative Law Group ("ILG"). Primary accusers were not available to them and some topics were placed off-limits. Read their reports of the Judiciary's version of events: RCT's Report ILG's Report Judicial coverups as documented in this report: "Preparing for the Next Scandal: Valuable Insights from the 2019-2023 Judicial Corruption Scandal" To Report In January of 2024, the Colorado legislature held annual SMART Act hearings. At that time it heard a summary report on lessons from the Masias allegations and their handling. Judicial Integrity Project Report Colorado's longest-term advocate for reforming judicial accountability is the Judicial Integrity Project. Read its report to the legislature here. To Report Judicial Department Cooperation? Colorado's constitution vests the power to investigate judicial misconduct in the Judicial Discipline Commission. Did the Judicial Department cooperate with the official investigation by the Judicial Discipline Commission? Reports from the two entities highlight major controversies. Judicial Dept's Report Discipline Commission Report Appx 1 Appx 2 Designing Accountability into the Judicial Discipline System How can systems be designed to enhance judicial accountability? A former member of Colorado's Judicial Discipline Commission examines this topic in an article published in the American Judges Court Review . To Report Colorado Legislative Interim Committee on Judicial Discipline In 2022, Colorado's Legislative Interim Committee on Judicial Discipline held hearings to examine the judicial ethics accountability system. It considered legislative remedies. The Committee received many informative reports and proposals available here. To Materials Original Intent of Colorado's Merit Selection For the 40th anniversary, a justice of the Colorado Supreme Court wrote a history of the system and discussed its intent. Consider whether today's system is achieving its goals. To Article

Judge Grant Sullivan Judge Sullivan was an attorney representing the Judicial Department in the Masias contract affairs. After his involvement in the Masias contract affair, he was placed on the Colorado Court of Appeals. Go To Story Story Story "This ... is an epic clash ... a critical showdown of Constitutional authority." Story Story To Story