Eleventh Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Patrick William Murphy
Retention Year: 2016
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standard
Reports:
2016 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
2015 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
Need an accessible PDF Document Version?
Please click on the link below and email our staff
The Eleventh Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (9-0) recommends that Chief Judge Patrick William Murphy BE RETAINED.
Judge Murphy graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 1989 and University of Colorado Law School in 1993. Judge Murphy worked as a Public Defender for 20 years and was appointed as a District Judge in 2012. He became Chief Judge of the 11th Judicial District in 2015. Judge Murphy is active in civic projects in the community, especially those involving the local schools.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Murphy, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court, reviewed comments received from interested parties during the evaluation and reviewed survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who had experience with Judge Murphy. Among the survey questions was "how strongly do you recommend that Judge Murphy be retained in office, or not be retained in office?" Of attorneys completing the survey 87% recommended to retain and 13% not to retain. Of non-attorneys completing the survey 91% recommended to retain and 9% not to retain. A total of 17 attorneys and 33 non-attorneys responded to the judicial performance surveys regarding Judge Murphy.
Judge Murphy is the Chief Judge of the 11th Judicial District. Besides his administrative duties in that capacity, he presides over criminal, civil and domestic matters in his courtroom. Based on the survey results of attorneys and appellate judges, Judge Murphy received an overall combined rating which exceeds the combined rating of all district judges standing for retention. Judge Murphy's overall performance rated by non-attorneys responding to the surveys was consistent with the combined rating of all district judges standing for retention. Judge Murphy was perceived by non-attorneys to be more lenient in sentencing than the combined rating of all district judges standing for retention. Judge Murphy received high marks from attorneys for his case management and application and overall knowledge of the law. Judge Murphy’s calm and respectful demeanor in the courtroom was observed by the Commission during their observations, and he received positive comments for his patience and dignity by survey respondents.