Fieldman, Steven 2018 Evaluation

Reports:
2018 Retention Survey Report
2017 Interim Survey Report

Nine members of the Tenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agree that Judge Steven B. Fieldman MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. One member of the commission was recused.

Judge Fieldman was appointed by Governor Ritter in November 2007, and he took the bench on January 4, 2008. Judge Fieldman graduated from Clark University in 1988 and the University of Denver College of Law in 1992. Judge Fieldman served as a Deputy District Attorney in the 10th Judicial District for 14 years prior to being appointed to the County Court bench.

The commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Fieldman, reviewed his judicial opinions and self-evaluation, performed extensive courtroom observations, interviewed local agencies and considered the results of the 2018 Judicial Performance Survey Report and Case Management Reports. On the Judicial Performance Survey, all surveyed groups had a sufficient response rate from those who had experience with Judge Fieldman. Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 97% indicated that Judge Fieldman meets performance standards and 3% indicated no opinion. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 72% indicated that Judge Fieldman meets performance standards 17% indicated he did not meet performance standards and 11% had no opinion. 

From January 2014 through January 2017, Judge Fieldman presided over dockets handling criminal misdemeanor and traffic matters. In February of 2017, Judge Fieldman was assigned to 100% civil cases including eviction cases and civil protection orders. Judge Fieldman indicated that this change to a civil docket was challenging since he was fairly new to these cases; however, he has researched the statutes and continues to make positive changes in his courtroom to ensure that all of the parties in his courtroom feel that they have been heard and understood. In all major categories of the Judicial Performance Surveys, non-attorneys rated Judge Fieldman slightly lower than attorneys.  Attorneys generally found that Judge Fieldman managed his docket and courtroom well, that he is fair and impartial, and has a solid knowledge of the law.  While Judge Fieldman emphasized in his interview that routine cases should all be handled in a consistent and similar manner, some attorneys believe he rejected too many pleas when he was handling his criminal docket. Non-attorneys overall found that he was patient and professional but was seen as partial in certain instances; however, based on the content of some comments it appears the law was being correctly applied. During courtroom observations, Commission members found Judge Fieldman to be patient and respectful of the participants in his division and that he genuinely wanted litigants to understand the civil court process. Judge Fieldman’s professional goals are to continue to learn new areas of the law and to continue exploring ways to streamline his busy docket. Based on the Commission’s overall evaluation, Judge Fieldman meets or exceeds performance standards in all categories.