Porter, Curtis 2018 Evaluation

Reports:
2018 Retention Survey Report

The Fifteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees that Judge Curtis Lane Porter MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

Judge Porter was appointed to Prowers County Court June 9, 2016. Prior to his appointment, Judge Porter served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Fifteenth Judicial District beginning in 2009. Judge Porter earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado in 2005 and law degree from the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville in 2008.

The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Porter, 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 Porter. Among the survey questions was “based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Porter meets judicial performance standards?” Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 100% answered, yes, meets performance standards. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 89% answered yes, meets performance standards, 7% answered no, does not meet performance standards, and 4% had no opinion regarding whether Judge Porter meets or does not meet performance standards. A total of ten attorneys and thirty non-attorneys responded to the judicial performance surveys expressing their opinions of Judge Porter’s performance.

Judge Porter’s caseload consists of misdemeanor, traffic, civil, small claims and less than 1% felony criminal matters. Based on the Commission’s overall evaluation Judge Porter has demonstrated he meets or exceeds performance standards in all categories. Attorneys responding to the surveys rated Judge Porter higher in all categories overall compared to all county judges. The one area in which attorney surveys ranked Judge Porter slightly lower was promptly ruling on pre-trial motions, where he scored 3.3 compared to 3.9 for all county judges. Non-attorneys responding to the survey scored Judge Porter substantially the same in comparison to all county judges in the application of law, diligence, communication, fairness, and demeanor. Non-attorney responses indicated Judge Porter exceeded all county judges in overall case management and scored equal to all county judges in using appropriate control of proceedings and language that everyone can understand. Judge Porter is described as being knowledgeable, professional, and treating all defendants and prosecutors in the same respectful manner. His courtroom is cited as a great balance between the dignity of the court and respect for the humanity of the people before him. Judge Porter’s opinions reflect his knowledge of the law and his logical and understandable communication style. Based on these findings the Commission unanimously agreed that Judge Porter meets judicial performance standards.