First Judicial District - Jefferson County Court Judge
Honorable Susan Fisch
Retention Year: 2010
Recommendation: Retain
Reports:
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The First Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends by a unanimous vote that Judge Susan Fisch BE RETAINED.
Judge Fisch was appointed to the Jefferson County Court in 2008. Before her appointment to the court, Judge Fisch was a state and federal public defender. Her community interests include serving on the board of her local YMCA, judging for moot court competitions and participation in the restorative justice program in the First Judicial District. She also serves on the Colorado Supreme Court Criminal Rules Committee.
Judge Fisch is committed to providing the best possible leadership in the First Judicial District. She has demonstrated that commitment by her determination to educate herself in the area of civil law, to broaden her ability to provide comprehensive coverage, including those in the civil docket. While she had no prior experience in this area of law, she has, by all accounts, done an outstanding job in this area.
Judge Fisch had impressive survey scores from both attorneys and non-attorneys. In fact, the results from the surveys presented well exceeded the average score for judges, including many judges with much more experience on the bench. When asked whether Judge Fisch is completely neutral, a significant percentage of survey respondents said that she was - with her score in this area almost double the average for county judges statewide. The comments made about Judge Fisch were very positive. She was described as thoughtful, caring and impartial. It was suggested that she might be the best judge in Colorado. The most common comment under the weaknesses section of her survey results was that she had none. The Commission’s interview, review of case rulings and courtroom evaluation confirmed the positive remarks highlighted in surveys regarding Judge Fisch. During the interview, she explained she was very concerned about being fair to all sides and conscientious about her resolve to not be more or less lenient with defense attorneys, given her prior practice as a defense attorney. She makes sure to take time to listen, especially to the people who are most affected by the proceedings, rather than only listening to the lawyers.
One hundred percent of attorneys surveyed and 90% of non-attorneys surveyed recommended that Judge Fisch be retained. The 100% rating from attorneys is unprecedented. The Commission was very impressed by Judge Fisch’s ratings and her interview with the Commission and believes that Judge Fisch is already a fine County Court Judge and will only continue to improve. The Commission recommends unanimously that Judge Fisch BE RETAINED.