First Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Jeffrey Ralph Pilkington
Retention Year: 2016
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standard
Reports:
2016 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
2015 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
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The First Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance voted unanimously that Judge Jeffrey Ralph Pilkington BE RETAINED.
Judge Pilkington graduated from Drake University, summa cum laude, in 1985 and from Columbia University law school in 1988 as a Harlan Fiske Scholar. He practiced law for more than 20 years with Davis, Graham and Stubbs in Denver Colorado, where he specialized in Insurance and Risk Management and Products Liability, Class Action and Toxic Tort litigation. Appointed as a District Court Judge for the First Judicial District of Colorado in 2013, Judge Pilkington is active in the legal community as a teacher and speaker and serves on various boards and committees.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Pilkington, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court, and reviewed surveys sent to attorneys and non-attorneys. Among the survey questions was “how strongly do you recommend that Judge Pilkington be retained in office, or not be retained in office?” In response, 62% of attorneys completing the survey recommended retention while 95% of non-attorneys completing the survey recommended retention.
Judge Pilkington’s enthusiasm for his work was apparent in his interview, his courtroom demeanor, his opinions, and his survey results. He presides over a mixed case load and handles civil, domestic, and criminal cases. Judge Pilkington enjoys a reputation for being a hard working judicial officer who has a thorough grasp of the most complex civil legal issues. His opinions are clearly written, even in complex cases. His private practice background was in civil law so it took some time and effort on his part to become versed in criminal law and practice. He received some criticism in surveys early in his judicial career about his lack of knowledge of criminal law. The commission recognizes his largely successful efforts to become as versed in criminal law as he is in civil law.