Fourth Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Timothy J. Simmons
Retention Year: 2000
Recommendation: Retain
The Fourth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Timothy J. Simmons BE RETAINED.
Judge Simmons graduated from West Point in 1965 and was on active duty in the Army from 1965 to 1976. During that time, he obtained his law degree from the University of North Carolina in 1973. He served in the United States Army Reserves from 1976 and retired in 1992. He was admitted to the Bar in North Carolina in 1972 and to the Bar in Colorado in 1974. He was in private practice from 1974 through his appointment to the District Court bench in July of 1998. He was a part-time Colorado Springs Municipal Court Judge from 1982 until his appointment.
The judge is a member of the Colorado Knights Barbershop Quartet; he officiated high school football and basketball for 12 years, and has been a volunteer judge at high school mock trials and the Police Academy moot court.
At the present time, the judge is handling mostly a mix of civil cases, including domestic relations matters.
An overwhelming majority of those surveyed in questionnaires distributed to litigants, attorneys, court personnel, law enforcement personnel and jurors who were involved in court proceedings before Judge Simmons, recommended that he be retained. Attorney questionnaires received by the local commission rated Judge Simmons high overall and of the attorney responses received, 89% voted to retain him, 7% voted not to retain and 5% had no opinion. Of the non-attorney responses received back, 72% of respondents voted to retain the judge, 16% voted not to retain him and 12% had no opinion.
Additional survey responses indicated that the judge had above average scores that related to his punctuality, how he ran his courtroom and managed his caseload.
Overall, the Commission is impressed with Judge Simmons, even though he has only been on the bench for 2 years.