Eighteenth Judicial District - Elbert County Judge
Honorable Palmer L. Boyette
Retention Year: 2018
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standard
The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (10-0) agrees that Judge Palmer L. Boyette MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Boyette graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from Florida State University in 1986. He graduated from Florida State Law School in 1989. Judge Boyette worked as an Assistant City Attorney in Denver and as a Senior Attorney in the Florida Department of Children and Families. He also worked in private practice and as an Assistant Public Defender in Naples Florida. Boyette became a Magistrate for the Denver Juvenile Court in 2001 and was subsequently transferred to the Denver District Court, where he still serves as a part-time Magistrate. In 2007 he was appointed to the bench as the Elbert County Court Judge.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Boyette, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court, reviewed comments received from interested parties during the evaluation, and reviewed survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who had experience with him. Among the survey questions was, "based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Boyette meets judicial performance standards?" Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 93% answered yes, meets performance standards and 7% had no opinion regarding whether Judge Boyette meets or does not meet performance standards. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 86% answered yes, meets performance standards, 7% answered no, does not meet performance standards and 7% had no opinion regarding whether Judge Boyette meets or does not meet performance standards. Fourteen attorneys and twenty-seven non-attorneys responded to the judicial performance surveys expressing their opinions of Judge Boyette's performance.
Judge Boyette is currently handling a diverse docket in Elbert County consisting of criminal, civil, misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and small claims cases. Based on the Commission's overall evaluation, Judge Boyette has demonstrated he meets or exceeds performance standards in all categories. Judge Boyette received high marks in all areas. He was also termed “efficient,” “kind,” and “very professional.” Based on these findings, the Commission unanimously agreed that Judge Boyette meets judicial performance standards.