Twenty-First Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Nicholas R. Massaro
Retention Year: 1990
Recommendation: Retain
Judicial Performance Commission’s recommendation: Should Be Retained.
Judge Massaro was admitted to the bar in October 1977. He was a member of the Colorado Public Defender’s Office for five years and was in private practice for six years before being appointed as a District Judge in July 1988. He is a member of the Colorado and Mesa County Bar Associations; Colorado District and Juvenile Judge’s Associations; Board of Directors for Partners, Inc.; and participates in the School District 51 Mentorship Program.
Massaro preside over felony criminal cases, domestic, civil, probate, juvenile, mental health and appeals from County Court.
Massaro received very positive evaluations from those individuals involved in the court process who responded to the questionnaires. There was some limited criticism of his handling of juvenile cases and of his sentencing practices; however, he was generally identified as a hard-working, well organized, courteous, ethical, no-nonsense judge.
The Commission found Massaro to be a young judge still developing his judicial temperament. He is receptive to criticism and further training and eager to improve his skills as a jurist. The committee found him to be fair minded, pleasant, intelligent, and quite capable. Since becoming a district court judge he has been responsible for developing a new and innovative scheduling system for the local district courts. He is sensitive to the problems and issues presently facing the judicial system. He sees protection of the community as a primary concern in sentencing criminals. He believes that juveniles charged with criminal activity should be dealt with quickly and efficiently in order to provide them with prompt reaction and feedback. He believes juveniles should be given priority in the court system.