Archuleta, David 2018 Evaluation

Reports:
2018 Retention Survey Report
2017 Interim Survey Report

The 20th Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (10-0) finds that Judge David Archuleta MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

Judge Archuleta received his law degree from the University of Colorado, worked for a short time in private practice, and served nine years as a Deputy District Attorney for the 20th Judicial District prior to his appointment to the Boulder County Court in June 1999. Judge Archuleta is the past president of the Colorado Trial Judges’ Council and the Colorado County Judges’ Association. His caseload includes misdemeanor and traffic offenses, civil matters, small claims, and preliminary felony matters.
 
The Commission evaluated Judge Archuleta based on criteria enumerated in state law (C.R.S. 13-5.5-107): integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public. Each Commissioner observed Judge Archuleta in his courtroom. Each Commissioner also reviewed Judge Archuleta’s self-evaluation, samples of his rulings and orders, a report on his caseload, and anonymous results of qualitative surveys sent to people who appeared in his courtroom during 2017. The Commission met with the Chief Judge, the District Attorney, and the Chair of the Boulder Chapter of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar. The Commission held a public hearing on May 15, 2018, to gather input from the community. The Commission also interviewed Judge Archuleta. Due to concerns about the limited number of survey responses, Commissioners gave less weight to the survey results. Of the 35 attorneys who responded to the survey, 80% said Judge Archuleta meets performance standards. Of the 59 non-attorneys who responded to the survey, 93% said Judge Archuleta meets performance standards. The Commission found that court observations (totaling 42 hours for all Commissioners), meeting with various stakeholders, and interviewing Judge Archuleta provided the best insights.

The Commission believes Judge Archuleta continues to improve in the areas of administrative performance and judicial temperament. He has high integrity and good communication skills. He is the senior county court judge in the 20th Judicial District and maintains an active role in expanding his legal knowledge through teaching and learning from the other judicial officers of the district. His service to the legal profession continues with the Colorado Institute for Excellence in Judicial Education, where he will be a faculty member again this year. His service to the public includes improving the legal system through his contributions to a panel studying bond procedures and his attention to the interaction of the justice system with homeless persons and persons with mental health needs and substance abuse issues. Based on the Commission’s overall evaluation, Judge Archuleta has demonstrated that he meets or exceeds performance standards in all categories.