Eighteenth Judicial District - Arapahoe County Court Judge
Honorable Christopher Charles Cross
Retention Year: 2000
Recommendation: Retain
The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Christopher Charles Cross BE RETAINED.
Judge Cross received his law degree from the University of Denver Law School in 1979 after earning an undergraduate degree in 1974 from Denison University in Granville, Ohio. He was appointed to the bench in August 1997 after almost five years as a Denver Deputy District Attorney followed by 13 years in private practice. His current judicial service totals slightly more than two and one-half years, including County Court and temporarily, a stint in 1999 as an acting District Court Judge in the civil division.
In surveys of non-attorneys, such as jurors, defendants, and court personnel, 87% recommended retention of Judge Cross; 13% had no opinion. Attorney surveys indicated 76% believe Judge Cross should be retained; 18% did not; 6% had no opinion.
He was criticized for his aggressive management style. Attorneys in both the District Attorney and Public Defender offices were critical of new procedures designed by the judge to improve efficiency.
Judge Cross expressed a willingness "to address and correct problems which may exist in his behavior on the bench". The Commission recommends his retention.