Seventeenth Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable C. Scott Crabtree
Retention Year: 2010
Recommendation: Retain
Reports:
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The Seventeenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously recommends that Judge C. Scott Crabtree BE RETAINED.
Judge Crabtree was appointed to the bench in the Seventeenth Judicial District in July 2001. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Crabtree had a general law practice with an emphasis on civil litigation. Judge Crabtree has presided in domestic relations, criminal, civil and probate court since his appointment. Since Judge Crabtree’s last retention vote he has served three years in a criminal division and the last two and one-half years in a combined civil and probate division. In 2009 there were 7,489 civil cases filed and handled by two and one-half civil divisions. Judge Crabtree works well with his fellow judges to ensure all cases are handled in a timely fashion with under 4% of the total cases over one year old. There were 579 probate matters filed and all done in Judge Crabtree’s division. In addition, he is responsible to review several hundreds of annual reports filed each year in guardianship and conservatorship cases; which makes his proactive case management essential to the community that he serves.
Judge Crabtree is a volunteer judge in the high school mock trials that are conducted annually. He also served first as a district representative to the Colorado Judges’ Association, then as Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President and President of the Association. In his last year as President he also served as President of the Trial Judges’ Council. He is a member of the Civil Rules Committee and the District Judges Association liaison to the “Our Courts” project. Judge Crabtree feels his community service commitment is made through his participation in the betterment of the judiciary
The Commission reviewed written survey evaluations of Judge Crabtree from attorneys and non-attorneys, including written comments. The Commission reviewed Judge Crabtree’s written self-evaluation and three written orders, as well as conducted courtroom observations and had a personal interview with Judge Crabtree.
Of all attorneys surveyed about retention, 83% recommended to retain, 13% not to retain and 4% expressed no opinion. Excluding those who had no opinion, 87% recommended to retain and 13% not to retain. Of all non-attorneys surveyed about retention, 95% recommended to retain, 2% not to retain and 4% expressed no opinion. Excluding those who had no opinion, 98% recommended to retain and 2% not to retain. (These percentages my not total 100% due to rounding.) It is the Commission’s unanimous recommendation to retain Judge C. Scott Crabtree.