Fourth Judicial District - El Paso County Court Judge
Honorable Stephen J. Sletta
Retention Year: 2002
Recommendation: Retain
Reports:
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The Fourth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Stephen J. Sletta BE RETAINED.
Judge Sletta was appointed to the El Paso County Court in 1991. He served as the Presiding County Court Judge from 1993 to 1998. Judge Sletta handles mostly misdemeanor criminal, civil and traffic cases. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado School of Law and was admitted to the Colorado Bar in 1975. He was in private practice for 15 years before his appointment to the bench.
Judge Sletta spends much of his off-duty time attending his daughter’s high school events, mountain biking and restoring classic cars.
The Commission based its recommendation on the results of 233 detailed surveys completed by attorneys from the District Attorney’s Office, attorneys for defendants, law enforcement officers, court employees, defendants, jurors and others who have appeared in Judge Sletta’s court, and a self-evaluation completed by Judge Sletta. In addition, the Commission interviewed Judge Sletta and took comments from the public at a hearing.
Based on the results of 33 attorney and 200 non-attorney surveys, 73% of the attorney and 82% of the non-attorney respondents recommended Judge Sletta for retention. Judge Sletta was rated above average in the areas of courtesy, fairness and impartiality by jurors, law enforcement officers and other non-attorneys. Survey comments from both attorneys and non-attorneys included "excellent," "maybe the most courteous judge in El Paso County," "very professional" and "excellent on all levels."
Even after 11 years in county court, Judge Sletta treats each case individually and looks forward to each day. Judge Sletta’s experience, professionalism and dedication make him an excellent candidate for retention.