Twentieth Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Bruce Langer
Retention Year: 2016
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standard
Reports:
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The Twentieth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (10-0) recommends that Judge Bruce Langer BE RETAINED.
Judge Langer was appointed to the District Court of the Twentieth Judicial District on September 11, 2013. Prior to his appointment, Judge Langer was a Deputy and then a Chief Deputy District Attorney in the Twentieth Judicial District. He earned his juris doctor from the University of Colorado Law School in 1994. Before attending law school, he worked for the Boulder Daily Camera as a reporter. His undergraduate degree in journalism was conferred by the University of Colorado. Judge Langer has been active in community service, having served on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit organization A Precious Child prior to his judicial appointment. He currently serves on the advisory board of that organization, and also presides over student trial competitions at the high school, undergraduate, and law school levels as time allows.
The Commission observed Judge Langer in court, reviewed his self-evaluation, reviewed written orders that he authored, reviewed survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who appeared in his court, and interviewed Judge Langer. The Commission considered all of these sources of information in reaching its recommendation. Regarding survey results, 81% of attorneys completing the survey recommended to retain, 12% not to retain, and 8% made no recommendation regarding retention. Of non-attorneys completing the survey, 80% recommended to retain, 8% not to retain, and 12% made no recommendation regarding retention. (These percentages may not total 100% due to rounding).
In his first two-and-a-half years on the bench, Judge Langer’s caseload has been approximately 66% domestic, 33% civil, and 1% criminal. In our interview, Judge Langer described his goal of assuring both substantive and perceptual fairness in his courtroom. He acknowledged that he has learned a lot in his short time on the bench, and understands that the need to continue expanding his knowledge of new areas of the law as new cases come before him. The Commission appreciates Judge Langer’s commitment to equity, justice, and knowledge of the law, and concludes that Judge Langer is a capable judge who will continue to gain experience and legal knowledge going forward. As his judicial temperament matures, we expect Judge Langer’s communication skills to continue to grow and his administrative performance to continue to improve. Overall, Judge Langer seems very comfortable bearing the significant responsibilities of his position.