Chauche, Christine 2012 Evaluation

Reports:

2012 Retention Survey Report (PDF)

2011 Interim Survey Report (PDF)

2009 Interim Survey Report (PDF)

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The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously recommend that Judge Christine Noel Chauche BE RETAINED.

Judge Chauche received her bachelor’s degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1982 and her law degree from the University of Denver College of Law in 1991. Her work experience includes service as a probation officer, as a community corrections counselor, and as a deputy district attorney, the latter in the Eighteenth Judicial District. She began her judicial career as a magistrate in the Arapahoe County District Court in 1998, and was appointed Arapahoe County Court Judge in January of 2005. She has an outstanding record of community service. For example, Judge Chauche has been active on the boards of the Colorado and Arapahoe County Bar Associations, Celebration of Excellence, an educational organization benefiting children in the state foster care system, and Arapahoe County Advocates for Children (CASA). She conducts trainings for Project Safeguard, a domestic violence-prevention organization, and at the Colorado State Judicial Mid-Winter Conference. She judges high school legal competitions, conducts mock trials for students, and guest lectures at Arapahoe Community College and the University of Denver. Her current caseload is 100% civil (5% is small claims); she occasionally hears a jury or court trial for a colleague.

In evaluating Judge Chauche, the Commission observed her in the courtroom and interviewed district attorneys, public defenders, clerks, the Chief Probation Officer, and Judge Chauche. Commissioners also reviewed surveys about Judge Chauche’s performance in the courtroom, a self-evaluation, and written decisions rendered by the judge. Words others used to describe her courtroom demeanor included fair, respectful, courteous, professional, and very efficient. Those interviewed noted that she demands that attorneys be well-prepared when they come before her and makes accurate decisions that follow the law. Her very busy docket is demanding because it includes a lot of “pro se” cases (where people without a lawyer represent themselves in court); Judge Chauche is careful to explain legal proceedings to these people and checks to ensure that they understand what is happening. Judge Chauche, whose background is in criminal law, admits to being relatively new to civil law, and educates herself on civil law by reading, attending legal trainings, and consulting with three mentor-judges and colleagues. She is cross-sworn as a district court judge in criminal, juvenile delinquency, and domestic matters, and is valued in the District as a “team-player” who takes cases for other judges when needed.

Of all the attorneys surveyed about retention, 70% recommended to retain, 19% not to retain, and 11% were undecided or didn’t have enough information to make a recommendation. Of those expressing an opinion to retain or not to retain, 79% recommended to retain and 21% not to retain. Of all non-attorneys surveyed, 75% recommended to retain, 15% not to retain, and 10% were undecided or didn’t have enough information to make a recommendation. Of those expressing an opinion to retain or not to retain, 84% recommended to retain and 16% not to retain.