Fifteenth Judicial District - Baca County Court Judge
Honorable Milla Lishchuk
Retention Year: 2024
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards
Reports:
*Insufficient responses to publish Survey Reports
Need an accessible PDF Document Version?
Please click on the link below and email our staff
The Fifteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance finds that the Honorable Milla Lishchuk MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS and should be retained in office by a vote of 3-3, with two commissioners absent and two commissioner vacancies. The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
In evaluating Judge Lishchuk, the commission reviewed her written orders, observed her in the courtroom, reviewed her self-evaluation, and interviewed representatives from both the District Attorney’s office and the Public Defender’s office. There were no public survey results available.
Judge Lishchuk is compassionate and treats everyone in her courtroom with respect. Judge Lishchuk’s caseload consists primarily of traffic, misdemeanor, civil, and small claims cases. In October 2023, the Commission conducted an interim evaluation and unanimously found that Judge Lishchuk met performance standards. In that evaluation, the Commission identified three areas for improvement: (1) expanding legal knowledge of criminal law, (2) increasing docket efficiency, and (3) exercising more control over the courtroom. As it relates to legal knowledge of criminal law, Judge Lishchuk has expanded her legal knowledge and effectively applies the law. She addresses the non-repetitive nature of her docket by effectively researching each legal issue before her. Her written and oral rulings are articulate and clear. She has taken several noticeable steps to increase docket efficiency and curtail the number of administrative-related continuances. While the Commission has noticed less disruption in her courtroom over the past year, there is still room for improvement in the area of courtroom control. Specifically, Judge Lishchuk could more effectively balance her authority as a judge with her compassion, to curb inappropriate behavior that occurs in her courtroom. While Judge Lishchuk is excellent at timely issuing orders on motions that come before her, her administrative performance could improve as thirty-nine percent of her cases are beyond the six-month benchmark. Finally, she serves the legal profession and public by serving on the Colorado Supreme Court Character and Fitness committee. Judge Lishchuk remains teachable and shows a desire to learn and grow in her relatively new position. The Commission recommends working with other county court judges in the Fifteenth Judicial District to further improve.
Since graduating from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2009, she has dedicated her legal career to civil service. Judge Lishchuk began serving as a part-time Baca County Judge in June 2021 and serves as a 20% part-time judge. She also works as a hearing officer for the Department of Revenue. In her free time, Judge Lishchuk enjoys growing vegetables, volunteering at a food bank, and exploring Baca County canyons. She enjoys the local scenery that reminds her of her ranch childhood home.