Fourth Judicial District - Teller County Court Judge
Honorable Jackson L. Peters Jr.
Retention Year: 2000
Recommendation: Retain
The Fourth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Jackson L. Peters, Jr. BE RETAINED.
Judge Peters was appointed to the Teller County bench in August 1989. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was a staff attorney with Pikes Peak Legal Services specializing in Consumer Housing and Civil Rights issues. Judge Peters is currently on the Board of the East Teller County Build-A-Generation, a non-profit organization seeking to develop risk-prevention focused programs for juveniles.
Since his appointment in 1989, Judge Peters has presided over criminal, civil, juvenile and traffic cases. Judge Peters is the only Fourth Judicial District County Judge that serves Teller County. Judge Peters has a large number of pro se litigants in his courtroom, which is a challenge to maintaining a hospitable, non-threatening environment for the resolution of conflict. Judge Peters by his own admission is in the perpetual pursuit of perfect patience.
He has experienced approximately 10% reduction in case load in Teller County and spends one day per week in the El Paso County courthouse presiding over Domestic cases and helping with the overloaded Fourth Judicial District County docket.
Attorney questionnaires received by the Fourth Judicial District Commission rate Judge Peters above average in all areas surveyed, especially in the areas of fairness and communication. Of the attorney responses received, 86% voted to retain Judge Peters, 9% voted not to retain and 5% had no opinion.
Major strength is his human approach to the practice of law and his ability to provide accessibility to the bench in a small mountain community. The Commission was impressed with the time and honesty that Judge Peters put into his self-evaluation and the thoroughness in which he critiqued himself and strives for personal growth.