Twenty-Second Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Sharon L. Hansen
Retention Year: 1998
Recommendation: Retain
The Twenty-Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Sharon L. Hansen BE RETAINED.
Judge Hansen has served the County of Montezuma as a judge for twelve years, first as County Court Judge from April 1, 1986 to August 31, 1995, and then in her present capacity as District Court Judge. Judge Hansen's caseload includes civil, domestic relations, juvenile and criminal cases.
The majority of those surveyed in questionnaires distributed to litigants, law enforcement personnel, court personnel, probation department, jurors and attorneys who have been involved in court proceedings before Judge Hansen recommended that Judge Hansen be retained. After weighing the information obtained at four public hearings conducted in the communities of Cortez, Dolores, Dove Creek and Mancos, the Twenty-Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance determined by a majority vote to recommend retention of Judge Hansen.
Judge Hansen acknowledges the difficulty of handling an ever increasing case load for this two county district, but expects the State's recent announcement of funding for a research assistant to significantly improve the court's handling of its case load, including the mountain of paperwork which accompanies it.