Fourth Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Robin Lynn Chittum
Retention Year: 2016
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standard
The Fourth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (10-0) recommends that Judge Robin Lynn Chittum BE RETAINED.
Judge Chittum was appointed to the El Paso County District Court in February 2013. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Chittum served for eleven years as an attorney in the El Paso District Attorney’s office. Judge Chittum received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and her law degree from the University of Denver. Judge Chittum has volunteered for a variety of her children’s activities including involvement with the school band, music programs, show choir and providing support for her son’s Boy Scout troop and daughter’s equestrian team. She believes that educational outreach to inform high school students about the judicial system is very important so she participates in the “Judicially Speaking” program and does job shadowing with students from a career class.
The Commission reviewed Judge Chittum’s survey responses that included individual comments from both attorneys and non-attorneys who had appeared in Judge Chittum’s courtroom. Additionally, Commission members interviewed Judge Chittum, read several of her decisions and observed her in the courtroom. Judge Chittum’s survey question regarding recommendation for retention scores were high; with 91% of attorneys completing the survey recommending retention and 95% of non-attorneys completing the survey recommending retention.
Judge Chittum’s docket during this term has included 25% civil cases, 50% criminal cases and 25% probate cases. Survey results from attorneys rated Judge Chittum above average for all District Judges standing for retention in all five areas surveyed. Non-attorney survey results also rated Judge Chittum above average for all District Judges standing for retention in all surveyed areas. Both attorneys and non-attorneys rated Judge Chittum especially high in “demeanor” and specifically in “treating participants with respect.” The Commission notes that during a courtroom observation of a criminal docket she took the time to ensure that each defendant who came before her fully understood his/her charge, the next steps that would be taken by the Court and explained what was expected of the defendant. Everyone in the courtroom was treated with dignity and respect.