Billings-Vela, Linda 2018 Evaluation

Reports:
2018 Retention Survey Report
2017 Interim Survey Report

The Fourth Judicial District Judicial Performance Commission unanimously (7-0) agrees that District Judge Linda Margaret Billings-Vela MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

Judge Billings-Vela was appointed to the District Court for the Fourth Judicial District on July 1, 2015. Prior to her appointment, Judge Billings-Vela served as a Teller County Court Judge from October 1, 2011, to June 30, 2015. Before that she served as a Fourth Judicial District Court Magistrate. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Billings-Vela worked in the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office and in private practice. Judge Billings-Vela obtained her undergraduate degree at Colorado College and her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Judge Billings-Vela serves on the Boards of Directors for the Kiwanis Club of the Ute Pass-Woodland Park Region, Joint Initiatives for Youth and Families, and the Community Partnership Family Resource Center. In her judicial role, Judge Billings-Vela serves as an instructor for the National Judicial College and volunteers with the Teen Court and Judicially Speaking programs. Additionally, she periodically makes presentations to Court Appointed Special Advocates (“CASA”) on supervised parenting time in domestic relations and civil protection order cases.  

The Commission personally interviewed Judge Billings-Vela, observed her in Court, and reviewed judicial performance data, several of her written opinions and orders, judicial performance survey results, and written comments from attorneys and non-attorneys. Judge Billings-Vela's overall combined performance score for all categories of respondents (attorneys, non-attorneys, jurors, law enforcement, defendants, litigants, and witnesses) is among the highest of all judges surveyed, at 3.78 out of 4.00, with a combined 94% of survey respondents agreeing that Judge Billings-Vela meets judicial performance standards.

Since July 5, 2017, Judge Billings-Vela has presided over all District Court cases in Teller County, which includes civil, domestic relations, juvenile, probate, mental health, criminal, and traffic cases. Judge Billings-Vela takes her responsibility to stay current in all these areas of law seriously, and spends a significant amount of time participating in judicial training, research, and educational opportunities. She also works to implement programs that meet the specific needs of the Teller County community, such as reinstating a Juvenile Best Practices Committee that promotes health, stable families and the protection of children. Judge Billings-Vela is consistently commended for her excellent judicial demeanor, thorough and well reasoned rulings, preparation, efficiency, fairness, impartiality, and consistency. The Commission strongly believes that Judge Billings-Vela meets the performance standards for the position of Fourth Judicial District Judge.