Eighteenth Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Deanna Elizabeth Hickman
Retention Year: 1996
Recommendation: Retain
Judge Hickman received her undergraduate degree from Vasser and her law degree from Columbia University. She was appointed to the bench in 1987 after a career as a civil litigator with a large law firm in Denver. She spent most of the last four years handling criminal cases. Judge Hickman was not viewed favorably by a large portion of the attorneys responding to the survey; 37.3% of the responding attorneys recommended that Judge Hickman not be retained. Judge Hickman was viewed unfavorably primarily because of her demeanor. She was seen as discourteous to attorney and litigants, especially criminal defendants. Her sense of fairness, justice and compassion was questioned. Judge Hickman disputes some of these allegations but recognizes their importance. She has indicated a willingness to address them. At the same time, Judge Hickman received high marks for her knowledge of the law, the clarity of her decisions, her courtroom control and her work ethic.
In light of these strengths and her willingness to address the concerns regarding her demeanor, a majority of the Commission recommends that Judge Deanna E. Hickman BE RETAINED.