Seventh Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Steven Louis Schultz
Retention Year: 2024
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards
Reports:
2024 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
2021 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
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The Seventh Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote 8-0, with one absent and one Commissioner vacancy, that Judge Steven Louis Schultz MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
The Commission observed Judge Schultz to be professional, patient, polite to parties and counsel, and to maintain control of his courtroom. The Commission interviews and the 2021 and 2024 Judicial Performance Surveys indicate that Judge Schultz is thoughtful, conscientious, and knowledgeable, while also suggesting that Judge Schultz could more promptly issue rulings and should learn to control his body language and facial expressions in the courtroom, as such often mirror his feelings concerning witness testimony and lawyer argument. The Commission found Judge Schultz’s written orders to be excellent, with him receiving higher than average scores in his 2024 Judicial Performance Survey. Judge Schultz’s lowest Survey scores were in the fairness category, with his overall fairness score nonetheless being well above average. The Commission therefore concludes that Judge Schultz meets judicial performance standards in all the statutory criteria, i.e., integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Judge Schultz presides over criminal, juvenile, probate, domestic relations, and mental health cases in Delta County. Commission members observed Judge Schultz in court, either in person or via electronic means, and interviewed the Chief District Attorney, the Chief Public Defender, and the Chief District Court Judge. The Commission also interviewed Judge Schultz via video conference on April 22, 2024, and reviewed Judge Schultz’s 2021 Interim Judicial Performance Survey, 2024 Judicial Performance Survey, 2024 self-evaluation materials, and three of his written orders.
Judge Schultz received his law degree with honors from Brooklyn Law School in 1994. Judge Schultz was in private practice as a litigation attorney for more than eleven years in New York and ten years in Hotchkiss, Colorado, before being appointed District Court Judge in 2015.