Twentieth Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Thomas Francis Mulvahill
Retention Year: 2012
Recommendation: Retain
Reports:
2012 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
2011 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
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The Twentieth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends by a unanimous 10-0 vote that Judge Thomas Francis Mulvahill BE RETAINED.
The Commission feels that Judge Mulvahill has performed with excellence at all aspects of his job, and that our community is well-served with him on the bench. We have no significant concerns.
Judge Mulvahill completed his undergraduate studies at St. John’s University and graduated from the University of Colorado Law School in 1987. Thereafter he spent ten years with the Denver District Attorney’s Office and ten years doing criminal defense with a private law firm in Denver. He also served part-time on the municipal bench in Lakewood and Brighton to gain judicial experience. He was appointed to the bench by Gov. Bill Ritter in September, 2009. Judge Mulvahill’s major responsibilities have been in criminal (60%) and civil (25%) cases.
Judge Mulvahill takes great pride in ensuring a fair trial for all parties that appear before him as well as in maintaining a neutral demeanor both in and out of the courtroom. His written opinions are clear and use a language and logic that both the public and the involved parties can follow and understand. At the public hearing, two lawyers spoke strongly in favor of retaining Judge Mulvahill, and no one spoke in opposition. Each Commission member observed Judge Mulvahill in his courtroom in a wide array of court proceedings, and read several of his written opinions. The Commission as a whole met with Judge Mulvahill for an in-depth interview, and the Commission conducted a public hearing to allow the public to provide their input. We received completed questionnaires from 83 attorneys and 122 non-attorneys. Among the former he scored an overall average grade of 3.46 on a 4.0 scale, and among the latter his score was a near-perfect 3.91. On almost all dimensions measured, among both attorneys and non-attorneys, Judge Mulvahill’s scores
were slightly or significantly above those of other district judges in Colorado who are standing for retention this year.
Of all attorneys who responded to the surveys about retention, 86% recommended to retain, 8% not to retain, and 6% were undecided or didn’t have enough information to make a recommendation. Of those attorneys expressing an opinion to retain or not to retain, 91% recommended to retain and 9% not to retain. Of all non-attorneys surveyed, 98% recommended to retain, 2% not to retain, and 1% were undecided or didn’t have enough information to make a recommendation. Of those non-attorneys expressing an opinion to retain or not to retain, 99% recommended to retain and 2% not to retain. (These percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.)