Nineteenth Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Allison J. Esser
Retention Year: 2024
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards
Reports:
2024 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
2023 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
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The Nineteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance finds, by a vote of 8-0, with two absent Commissioners, that the Honorable Allison J. Esser MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. Judge Esser presently handles a District Court docket made up almost entirely of adult felony criminal matters. The Commission interviewed Judge Esser, reviewed samples of her work, observed her in the courtroom, and assessed feedback from those who appeared before her.
Some of Judge Esser’s biggest strengths are her work ethic, the sincere thoughtfulness with which she approaches her job, and her demeanor on the bench. As Judge Esser transitions to other areas of the law, perhaps those which come with less civility, the Commission urges Judge Esser to thoughtfully approach how to remain authoritative and maintain control of her courtroom, particularly with attorneys and unrepresented parties. As she transitions to other areas of the law, Judge Esser will also need to embrace the need to keep her docket running timely and ensure that litigants receive timely orders in their cases. That said, the Commission has great confidence in Judge Esser to do so, as evidenced by the way in which she has thoughtfully approached other areas in her current docket, and the Commission has no doubt that if something is not working, Judge Esser will continue to try to find a solution that will work. Overall, Judge Esser is doing a great job, and the Commission unanimously finds that she is meeting performance standards. She is hard-working and very thoughtful and brings a great perspective to the District Court bench of judges.
Surveys were sent to people who appeared before Judge Esser, both attorneys and non-attorneys, including the parties whose cases she presided over. Overall, survey respondents rated Judge Esser quite high, with 88 percent of attorney respondents and 92 percent of non-attorney respondents stating that Judge Esser meets performance standards, and the remainder expressing no opinion on that issue. Survey respondents rated Judge Esser 3.5 (of a total maximum score of 4.0) in overall performance. One area in which Judge Esser received consistent positive feedback was the way in which she treats everyone before her with dignity and respect. One survey respondent noted, “Judge Esser has a tremendous judicial temperament,” with others noting that she is respectful of everyone appearing before her and that she is always pleasant, and never rude or demeaning, all of which the Commission agrees with and sees as positive attributes.
Judge Esser lives in Weld County with her family and has been a District Court Judge in Weld County since July 2021. Prior to her appointment as a District Court Judge, she was an attorney for Colorado Legal Services, had been in private practice, and served as a Senior Public Defender. Judge Esser earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.