Colorado Supreme Court
Honorable William H. Erickson
Retention Year: 1994
Recommendation: Retain
Justice Erickson was admitted to the Bar of Colorado in 1950. He was in private practice of law in Denver until his appointment to the Colorado Supreme Court on December 4, 1970. He served as Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court from 1983 until 1985.
A nationally recognized figure in legal and judicial education, Justice Erickson has devoted his career to the improvement of the administration of justice. He chaired the President’s National Commission for the Review of Federal and State Laws Relating to Wire-Tapping and Electronic Surveillance. He served as the chair of the committee that prepared the Second Edition of the Standard for Criminal Justice. He participated in the formation of the National College for District Attorneys and the National College for Criminal Defense Lawyers. He is a member of the Council of the American Law Institute and was a member of the National Commission that drafted the standards for accreditation of law enforcement agencies. Justice Erickson is the co-author of two books that deal with criminal law and procedure. He prepares annual summaries of United States Supreme Court decisions that are provided to all Colorado judges and used by judges and lawyers throughout the nation. He was a faculty member of the New York University Appellate Judges Seminar from 1973 until 1987. He presently is a member of the council and vice chair of the Senior Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association.
Justice Erickson has given hundreds of lectures to judges and lawyers on a wide variety of subjects both in Colorado and throughout the country. He has maintained a close relationship with attorneys though his involvement in the Denver, Colorado and American Bar Associations. Justice Erickson is recognized by lawyers and trial judges as one of Colorado’s most outstanding jurists. The opinions he has written for the Courts are recognized for their clarity and superior legal analysis.
Justice Erickson’s record demonstrates his commitment to improving the justice system. He plans on continuing his efforts to make opinions of appellate judges in Colorado more reader friendly and to develop better procedures for state wide tracking and cases and appeals.
The State Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Justice William H. Erickson BE RETAINED.