Eleventh Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable O. Edward Schlatter
Retention Year: 1990
Recommendation: Retain
Judicial Performance Commission’s recommendation: Should Be Retained.
Judge Schlatter passed the bar in 1970. He served as a public defender in Denver and the Salida regional office from 1970 to 1981 and presently serves as the Chief Judge of the 11th Judicial District.
Schlatter handles felony cases, large civil disputes, divorces, juvenile proceedings, probate cases, child custody matters, mental health inquires, and appeals from county court cases. He also has administrative responsibilities including assigning duties to the other judges within the 11th Judicial District.
All of the surveyed groups rated the judge substantially above average on the questions dealing with his integrity, equal treatment of parties, fairness, sense of justice, sound legal reasoning, knowledge of the law and decision making ability. He is generally viewed as courteous while still maintaining good control of his courtroom. The commission also considered comments made during the public hearings. Law enforcement view Schlatter as being lenient in his sentencing practices on criminal cases, but still expressed unanimous support for his retention in office.