Seventeenth Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Harlan R. Bockman
Retention Year: 1990
Recommendation: Retain
Judicial Performance Commission’s recommendation: Should Be Retained.
Judge Bockman received his law degree from the University of Colorado in 1963. He began working as a deputy district attorney in Adams County in 1963. In 1966, he began 10 years as assistant district attorney, or the Adams County district attorney’s principal administrator. He was appointed to the district court bench in 1976. Since then, he has been responsible for handling a variety of cases, ranging from criminal, to civil to divorce. He currently presides over civil cases.
Bockman received uniformly high ratings from all the groups that filled out the questionnaire. The attorneys felt he was an ethical, fair-minded judge who treated people equally without regard to race, sex, or social status. They viewed him as being open minded and free of favoritism. They had high praise for his analytical skill and legal knowledge. He was seen as being courteous, dignified and as keeping control of his courtroom. The lawyers described Bockman as punctual in conducting his proceedings and in issuing his rulings. One lawyer wrote, “This is one of the overall best judges in the Denver metro area. His legal knowledge is exceptional and he is very thorough.”
Bockman received high marks from the Judicial Performance Commission members.