Second Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Sheila A. Rappaport
Retention Year: 2002
Recommendation: Retain
Reports:
The Second Judicial Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Sheila A. Rappaport BE RETAINED.
Judge Rappaport was appointed to the Denver District Court bench in April 2000. Prior to her appointment, Judge Rappaport was a Chief Deputy District Attorney in the Denver District Attorney’s Office, specializing in domestic violence prosecutions. Judge Rappaport received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Denver and her law degree from the University of Denver. Judge Rappaport presently hears criminal cases. She presided over domestic relations cases for her first 18 months on the bench.
While presiding in domestic relations court, Judge Rappaport implemented the Domestic Relations Pilot Project, a non-adversarial approach to dissolution and custody disputes that allows parties to resolve matters in the judge’s chambers. Judge Rappaport strives to treat each individual with empathy and understanding and to be guided by a moral compass and ethical values rooted in her family’s teachings. She has volunteered in the Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center, Denver Public Schools Options Tutoring Program and Mt. St. Vincent’s Home. Judge Rappaport enjoys reading, walking and her children and grandchildren.
The Commission reviewed written evaluations of Judge Rappaport received from attorneys and non-attorneys, including written comments. The Commission also considered a written self-evaluation completed by Judge Rappaport and conducted a personal interview with her.
Judge Rappaport received high ratings from both attorneys and non-attorneys in virtually every category, particularly in the areas of professional demeanor, listening patiently and being fair and impartial to all parties. Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 94% recommended that Judge Rappaport be retained, 3% recommended that she not be
retained and 4% had no opinion. Of the non-attorneys responding, 80% recommended retention, 8% recommended non-retention and 12% had no opinion.