Ramirez, Roberto 2020 Evaluation

Reports:
2020 Retention Survey Report
2019 Interim Survey Report

The Seventeenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance agreed unanimously (8-0) that the Honorable Roberto Ramírez MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.  Two Commission members did not participate in the voting.

The Commission had the opportunity attend proceedings in Judge Ramírez’s courtroom (via video link), review transcripts from Judge Ramírez’s proceedings, review select opinions authored by Judge Ramírez, and review comments from parties that appeared or interacted with Judge Ramírez.  The Commission also conducted an interview with Judge Ramírez.  The Commission found Judge Ramírez to be well prepared, engaged, thoughtful, and vested in improving his skills and expertise.  Judge Ramírez works closely with the district judges to effectively manage overall caseloads, which is especially challenging during the current times related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Judge Ramírez’s authored opinions were well thought out and written so that the parties can understand the decision.  Judge Ramírez takes the time to explain the “why” behind decisions, both in written decisions and in court proceeds.  

Judge Ramirez had strong survey scores for case management, communication, and diligence.  Survey feedback for Judge Ramírez reflected lower scores for application and knowledge of the law and demeanor when compared to other district court judges.  These are areas of improvement for Judge Ramírez.  Judge Ramírez needs to emphasize working with public defenders, the district attorney’s office, and parties in cases appearing before him to accommodate for extenuating circumstance such as transportation challenges or other scheduling difficulties.  Judge Ramirez also needs to continue collaborating with more seasoned judges with respect to procedure and/or law that may be new or unfamiliar to him, leveraging that guidance and direction to apply the law equally and appropriately in all circumstances.  Finally, Judge Ramirez needs to focus on ensuring that people know that they are heard in his courtroom, including taking time throughout the court proceedings to ensure that this is the case. 

Judge Ramírez was appointed as a District Court Judge in 2017 by Governor John Hickenlooper.  Since 2017, Judge Ramírez has presided over a domestic relations docket between March 2017-September 2018 and a criminal docket from September 2018 to the present.  Prior to his appointment he served as the City of Arvada’s Litigation Counsel and the United States Air Force’s Reserve Chief Senior Prosecutor.  Judge Ramírez received his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas, San Antonio and his law degree at South Texas College of Law, Houston.  Judge Ramirez has worked legal issues as an Air Force federal prosecutor, criminal defense counsel, trial consultant, or instructor in Okinawa, Japan, Mainland Japan, South Korea, Africa, Guam, Singapore, Australia, Diego Garcia (Indian Ocean), Colombia, Greenland, Mexico, Hawaii, Colorado, California, New Mexico, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C.. He is the former chair of the Education Committee for the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association (CHBA), the current chair of the Pro Bono and volunteering Committee for the CHBA, the chair of the Spanish Speaking Lawyers Committee for the Colorado Bar Association, current member of the Court Interpreter Oversight Committee of the Colorado Supreme Court, current member of the Pledge to Diversity Committee, current member of Nuestras Cortes, and a current member of Federal District Judge Argüello’s Dream Team.