Eleventh Judicial District - Fremont County Court Judge
Honorable William Gobin Fox
Retention Year: 1996
Recommendation: Retain
The Eleventh Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge William G. Fox BE RETAINED.
Judge Fox was appointed to the County Court bench in 1986 and currently hears traffic, misdemeanors, and civil cases in the County Court for Fremont Count.
Questionnaires for evaluation of Judge Fox were sent to attorneys who have practiced in his court, court personnel and staff, litigants who have appeared in front of him, jurors who have served as jurors in his court, and law enforcement personnel who have appeared in his court. The responses to the questionnaires rated Judge Fox highly overall. Those persons who responded to the questionnaires made the following recommendations concerning the retention of Judge Fox:
Attorneys (25 responses): Retain: 88% No Opinion: 4% Do Not Retain: 8%
Court Personnel (17 responses): Retain: 76.5% No Opinion: 17.6% Do Not Retain: 5.9%
Litigants (7 responses): Retain: 42.9% No Opinion: 14% Do Not Retain: 42.9%
Jurors (9 responses): Retain: 66.7% No Opinion: 33.3% Do Not Retain: 2.9%
Law Enforcement (11 responses): Retain: 100%
Based upon information supplied to the commission through questionnaires and through a personal interview with Judge Fox, the commission feels that Judge Fox has done an exceptional job in managing the Fremont County Court case load. Judge Fox is very efficient and coordinates well with courthouse personnel. He has an enormous case load in the Fremont County Court and has inadequate staff to assist him. However, he has exceptional control over the docket and treats parties appearing in front of his fairly and courteously. The commission received some information indicating that Judge Fox is occasionally impatient in court, but it is the position of the commission that some impatience is warranted and justified by the pressures attendant with a very busy docket and heavy case load. Judge Fox is committed to a high standard of judicial ethics and demonstrates a sense of justice in his rulings.
Judge Fox encourages educational activity for his staff, speaks in the local schools, and has been an evidence instructor for the Judicial Department for the State of Colorado. Judge Fox actively seeks ways to improve the functioning and efficiency of the county court and continues to implement policies and procedures that make the county court more responsive to the needs of the persons who appear in front of Judge Fox.