Fifteenth Judicial District - Cheyenne County Judge
Honorable Gerald Keefe
Retention Year: 2018
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standard
Reports:
2018 Retention Survey Report
The Fifteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (8-0) agrees that Judge Gerald Keefe MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Keefe was appointed to the Cheyenne County Court in November 2011. Prior to his appointment, Judge Keefe spent 20 years as the Superintendent of the Kit Carson R-1 School District. He received his undergraduate degree and a Masters in Educational Administration from the University of Northern Colorado. Judge Keefe has been very active in the community and church. He is currently a Knights of Columbus member and Cheyenne County 911 Emergency Services board member. Until just recently, he was president of the Keefe Memorial Hospital Board. Judge Keefe also serves as the municipal judge for the towns of Cheyenne Wells and Kit Carson.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Keefe, reviewed opinions he authored, observed his courtroom, and reviewed surveys completed by attorneys and non-attorneys who interacted with him. Among the survey questions was “based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Keefe meets judicial performance standards?” One hundred percent of attorneys and non-attorneys surveyed answered that Judge Keefe meets performance standards. In fact, he received 100% in all areas surveyed as rated by non-attorneys. A total of three attorneys and one non-attorney responded to the judicial performance surveys expressing their opinions on Judge Keefe’s performance.
Judge Keefe presides mainly over civil matters, misdemeanors, traffic violations and infractions, and small claims cases. Based on the survey results, Judge Keefe demonstrates that he meets or exceeds performance standards in all categories. Both attorneys and non-attorneys rated Judge Keefe above average in almost every area surveyed as compared to other county judges. Attorneys’ comments acknowledged that Judge Keefe is a lay judge; however, they also noted that he puts a lot of effort into educating himself on the law. Based on these findings the Commission unanimously agrees that Judge Keefe meets performance standards.