Seventh Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Richard J. Brown
Retention Year: 1998
Recommendation: Retain
The Seventh Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Richard J. Brown BE RETAINED.
Judge Richard J. Brown has been a Judge in Montrose County, Colorado for more than 22 years. He was appointed County Court Judge in 1975. He was appointed District Court Judge in 1994. Prior to being appointed judge, Judge Brown engaged in the private practice of law in Montrose, Colorado. Judge Brown's current caseload is split among Montrose, Delta, Ouray, and San Miguel counties. The types of cases handled by Judge Brown and the percentages of his work the types comprise are: 50% criminal cases, 30% civil cases, 15% juvenile cases, and 5% domestic relation cases.
Judge Richard Brown received generally favorable and enthusiastic ratings from all persons who responded to the evaluation survey. Insufficient data was received from litigants and social services personnel for inclusion in the ratings. Jurors and attorneys responded that Judge Richard Brown is a very good judge who works hard and who is considerate of people who appear in his court. Judge Brown's ratings in knowledge of the law and application of the law are very high, indicating a high degree of competence in both law and procedure. Law enforcement personnel rated Judge Brown's performance excellent. Judge Brown in considered by most to be well prepared for all court matters, balanced in considering all sides, decisive, and generally correct in his decisions. Judge Brown's objective for the future is to help make the court system work better for the community. Overall, the responses from all areas of the community, including law enforcement and attorneys, are nearly unanimous that Judge Richard J. Brown should be retained as District Court Judge.
Therefore, the Judicial Performance Commission of the Seventh Judicial District unanimously recommends that Judge Richard J. Brown be retained.