Colorado Court of Appeals
Honorable Janice B. Davidson
Retention Year: 2006
Recommendation: Retain
Reports:
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The State Commission on Judicial Performance recommends by a vote of 10 to 0 that Chief Judge Janice B. Davidson BE RETAINED.
Background: Chief Judge Davidson was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals in 1988. She was a Denver County Court Judge for 3 years before that and previously served as an assistant attorney general, public defender, and as an attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She graduated from Skidmore College and from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law.
As chief judge since 2003, her administrative duties include court policies, budget issues, facilities, division assignments, judge workloads, and staff supervision. Her community interests include the American Red Cross and the YMCA (Central Branch).
Strengths: Attorneys who responded to survey questions rated Chief Judge Davidson at the survey average of other Court of Appeals judges for: (1) being fair and impartial toward both sides of a case, (2) writing opinions that are clear, (3) making decisions without regard to possible criticism, and (4) refraining from issues that need not be decided.
She was also rated at the survey average for: (1) making reasoned decisions upon the law and facts, (2) being courteous toward attorneys, and (3) refraining from reaching issues that need not be decided. Attorneys' comments indicate that Chief Judge Davidson is extremely hardworking and good at balancing court administration duties and deciding cases.
While attorneys rated Chief Judge Davidson slightly below the survey average for writing opinions that adequately explain the basis of the decision, the Commission does not give this much weight. The survey data does not indicate that the Chief Judge is responsible for
writing most of the court’s summary decisions, which do not require extensive explanation. The Commission reviewed various opinions that Chief Judge Davidson wrote and found that they are generally well-reasoned and well-written.
Weaknesses: Attorneys rated Chief Judge Davidson slightly below the survey average of the other judges for: (1) issuing opinions in a timely manner, (2) allowing parties to present their arguments and answer questions, and (3) being prepared for oral argument.
Recommendation: 84% of attorneys surveyed and 93% of judges surveyed strongly recommended that Chief Judge Davidson be retained in office. Overall, 93% of attorneys and 99% of judges supported her retention.
The Commission unanimously recommends that Chief Judge Davidson be retained.