Fields, Kolony 2022 Evaluation

Reports:

2022 Retention Survey Report

2021 Interim Survey Report

The Eighteenth Judicial District Judicial Performance Commission finds by a vote of 7-0 (with three Commissioners not participating) that the Honorable Kolony L. Fields MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. 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.

Judge Fields presides over a docket in Douglas County, including civil, misdemeanor, and traffic cases. Overall, Judge Fields scored higher than average for Douglas County Judges and demonstrated strong ratings in performance areas for fairness, demeanor, diligence, communications, case management, and application and knowledge of law. Comments received regarding Judge Fields were positive and mention fairness and her ability to care. Fairness, dignity, respect, and communication skills were among Judge Fields’s highest ranked categories.

The Judicial Performance Review Commission met with members of the District Attorney’s office, Public Defender’s Office, Probation Office, and the Chief Judge for feedback on Judge Fields. A personal interview was held with the Commission. The Commission also observed her in court and reviewed judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys. Among the survey questions was “based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Fields meets judicial performance standards?” Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 95% answered yes; 3% answered no; and 3% had no opinion. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 95% answered yes; 2% answered no; 3% had no opinion. A total of 108 individuals responded to the judicial performance surveys expressing their opinion of Judge Fields. Based on these findings, the Commission finds that Judge Fields meets judicial performance standards.

Judge Fields was appointed to the Douglas County Court in December 2019. She earned her B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1999 and her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2004. She started her career in the Office of the State Public Defender in Golden, Colorado where she worked until 2011. She left the Public Defender’s Office after being hired as a District Court Magistrate in Jefferson County, Colorado, a position she held from 2011-2019. Judge Fields has volunteered in mock trial competitions throughout her career as an attorney and a judicial officer. She is also involved in the Peer to Peer program through the Colorado Judicial Branch which provides guidance and support to other judicial officers across the state.