Colorado Court of Appeals
Honorable James S. Casebolt
Retention Year: 2004
Recommendation: Retain
Reports:
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The State Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously recommends that Judge James S. Casebolt BE RETAINED.
Judge Casebolt was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on February 12, 1994. From 1975 until his appointment in 1994, he was a shareholder-partner in Younge & Hockensmith, P.C., in Grand Junction. Judge Casebolt graduated from Colorado College in 1972 and from the University of Colorado Law School in 1975. He received a number of academic honors in both college and law school. He served two terms on the board of governors of the Colorado Bar Association and was president of the Mesa County Bar Association. He is the elected representative from the Judicial Department to the Public Employees' Retirement Association ("PERA") board, which is the largest public pension fund in the state, and he currently is the chairman of the PERA board of trustees. He is a member of the Supreme Court's Judicial Advisory Council and the Committee on Civil Pattern Jury Instructions; and he also serves on the court of appeals' Electronic Records Management Committee. Judge Casebolt is also a member of the Ethics Advisory Council for the Donor Alliance, a non-profit organ donation program.
The Commission's survey of attorneys who have had cases before Judge Casebolt resulted in a retention recommendation by 87% of the attorneys who responded to the survey. The Commission's survey of trial judges resulted in a retention recommendation by 98% of the judges who responded to the survey about Judge Casebolt. Comments on his retention reflect that he is hardworking, thoughtful and fair.
Judge Casebolt prides himself on working hard: treating each new case as a challenge to educate himself, to engage his intellectual curiosity and to apply neutral principles of law.
He edits draft opinions carefully because he believes that the way the decision is conveyed is as important as the outcome of the case. His goal is to continue to give each litigant and each case a fair hearing, even when the issue or argument is one that he has heard before. Judge Casebolt's opinions reflect that he has listened to the litigants and addressed their issues with care. He issues decisions in the cases assigned to him promptly and will assist other judges as appropriate.