Eighteenth Judicial District - Lincoln County Court Judge
Honorable Truston Lee Fisher
Retention Year: 2010
Recommendation: Retain
Reports:
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The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously recommends that Judge Truston Lee Fisher BE RETAINED.
Judge Fisher has lived in Lincoln County since 1962. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from Bear Valley School of Biblical Studies and served in the United States Marine Corp during the Vietnam Era. Judge Fisher has served on the Limon School Board, has coached high school wrestling for nearly twenty years and currently manages the family ranch, mending fences and repairing windmills. The Judge has assisted with the local 4-H program, speaks to students about the judicial process and has even helped judge the local spelling bee.
Judge Fisher was appointed Lincoln County Judge in 1987 and has served the citizens of Lincoln County and Colorado with distinction since then. Judge Fisher is a part-time county judge and is one of Colorado’s few remaining non-lawyer state judges. The judge’s cases include misdemeanor criminal and traffic cases, as well as civil and small claims cases.
The Commission conducted extensive research in making this recommendation of retention, including the use of surveys conducted on the judge, interviews of people who regularly appear in his courtroom, an interview of the judge, personal observations of the judge, review of his caseload data, review of the judges’ self-evaluation and studies of his written orders. Judge Fisher’s survey results, below, are exemplary. Those who have been in his court, including members of this Commission who have observed him, find him to be bright, compassionate, direct, fair and impartial. The Commission is particularly impressed with the lengths to which Judge Fisher goes to continually improve himself as a judge. Among other things, Judge Fisher has taken several courses at the National Judicial College at his own expense. Judge Fisher’s survey scores for knowledge of the law and management of his cases are well above the average, including those of lawyer-judges. Finally, the Commission commends Judge Fisher for his extensive community involvement and his belief that the people of Lincoln County deserve the very best justice possible. The Commission feels that Judge Fisher is one of our State’s finest judges.
Of all attorneys surveyed about retention, 100% recommended to retain, 0% not to retain and 0% expressed no opinion. Of all non-attorneys surveyed, 85% recommended to retain, 5% not to retain and 9% did not express an opinion. Excluding those who had no opinion, 90% recommended to retain and 10% not to retain. (These percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.)