Boyd, James 2018 Evaluation

Reports:
2018 Retention Survey Report
2015 Interim Survey Report

The Judicial Performance Commission for the Ninth Judicial District unanimously (9-0) agrees that Chief Judge James Berkley Boyd MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

Chief Judge Boyd was appointed as a district court judge for the Ninth Judicial District in 2003. He was named Chief Judge in 2006. Since 2009, he has also served as a water judge for Division 5 of the Water Court. Before becoming a judge, Chief Judge Boyd was in private practice for approximately 22 years, primarily at Holland & Hart LLP and then at his own law firm. He earned his undergraduate degree in history from the University of Denver, where he graduated summa cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Chief Judge Boyd graduated from Stanford Law School, where for two years he was an editor on law review. He has held positions of President and Treasurer for the Pitkin County Bar Association, and he also was a delegate to the Colorado Bar Association’s Board of Governors. He has been a member of the Colorado Problem Solving Court Advisory Committee since the Colorado Supreme Court formed it in 2008; he has chaired the committee since 2013. In 2018, he was a nominee for Judicial Officer of the Year in Colorado.

The Commission reviewed survey data from a cross-section of respondents who had experience with Chief Judge Boyd, including attorneys, law enforcement employees, jurors, witnesses, and litigants. The Commission also reviewed Chief Judge Boyd’s caseload-management data, a sample of his written opinions, and a self-evaluation he completed. Commissioners observed him in court and interviewed him in person regarding his performance on the bench. Among the survey questions was “based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Chief Judge Boyd meets judicial performance standards?” Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 84% answered yes, meets performance standards, 9% answered no, does not meet performance standards and 6% had no opinion. Of non-attorneys responding to the survey, 96% answered yes, meets performance standards and 4% answered no, does not meet performance standards. When asked about Chief Judge Boyd’s overall performance as a judge, Colorado appellate court judges graded him higher than the average for all district court judges, and 90% of those respondents gave him an “A” for his judicial performance.

Chief Judge Boyd presides over water cases, criminal prosecutions, domestic-relations and probate litigation, civil and commercial lawsuits, and juvenile matters. Chief Judge Boyd is highly respected throughout the Ninth Judicial District as fair, smart, thoughtful, well-spoken, and humble. Respondents noted his mastery of the law (both substantively and procedurally) and his well-reasoned rulings and orders. Consistent with survey responses, Chief Judge Boyd has stated that his greatest challenge is managing the work load he bears—as Chief Judge, he has considerable administrative responsibilities on top of his caseload. Chief Judge Boyd earned high marks in application and knowledge of the law, communications, diligence, demeanor, and fairness. The Commission unanimously agreed that he meets performance standards.