Seventeenth Judicial District - Adams County Court Judge
Honorable Sabino Ernest Romano
Retention Year: 1990
Recommendation: Retain
Judicial Performance Commission’s recommendation: Should Be Retained.
Judge Romano graduated from the University of Denver Law School in 1974, then practiced law for nine years. He then served as a county court referee in Arapahoe County for three years. He was appointed to the Adams County Court bench in late 1986. He handled civil matters for a short time but primarily has presided over traffic and misdemeanor cases, as well as preliminary hearings in felony cases, since his appointment.
Romano was viewed as fair and ethical. Most of the comments from the survey were complimentary. One police officer indicated Judge Romano was the “best judge in Adams County. Listens to evidence and bases his decisions on that; fair to all parties; treats everyone with respect.” An attorney wrote, “This judge has an exceptional ability to exude fairness from the bench, which seems to be what the public looks for most while in court.” A juror “enjoyed his demeanor and professional attitude.”
On the other hand, two staff members felt that mistakes came from his division, including incorrect or unclear written orders.
Romano impressed the commission members who interviewed him. He was rated highly in all areas. One commission member observed that “Judge Romano was brief, to the point and sensible. He is a good communicator.”