Eleventh Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Kaitlin B. Turner
Retention Year: 2024
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards
Reports:
2024 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
*Insufficient responses to publish 2023 Interim Survey Report
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The Eleventh Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance voted 10-0 that Judge Kaitlin B. Turner MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Turner presides over criminal, civil, juvenile, mental health and probate matters in her courtroom. Judge Turner's overall performance rated by attorneys responding to the surveys was lower than expected based on prior reviews. However, several letters were received from other attorneys that painted a completely different picture, and when combined with the surveys presented a judge that “meets performance standards”. More specifically, Judge Turner’s ratings from all participants both in the survey and attorney letters for the categories of Case Management, Application and Knowledge of Law, Communications and Diligence were high. Survey comments stated the Judge Turner is fair and pays attention to the details. Judge Turner’s rating by Appellate Judges had her overall performance as a judge as quite high. The Commission reviewed a sampling of Judge Turner’s opinions and finds them to be clear and concise. Judge Turner speaks clearly so everyone in the courtroom could hear what’s being said. The Commission observed Judge Turner being patient, clear and concise with litigants and attorneys to ensure everyone in the courtroom understood the proceedings. Based on these findings the Commission unanimously agreed that Judge Turner meets judicial performance standards.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Turner, reviewed opinions she authored, observed her in court, reviewed comments received from interested parties during the evaluation, and reviewed surveys sent to attorneys and non-attorneys who had experience with Judge Turner. Due to the lack of responses to the survey from attorneys, any information gleaned from it would not be statistically relevant. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 80% answered “yes, meets performance standards”, 10% answered “no, does not meet performance standards”, and 10% had no opinion regarding whether Judge Turner meets or does not meet performance standards. A total of seven attorneys and ten non-attorneys responded to the judicial performance surveys expressing their opinion of Judge Turner’s performance. In her personal interview Judge Turner stated she desires to improve the efficiencies in her court and her knowledge of dependency and neglect cases. She also expressed her commitment to being patient, courteous, and respectful to all parties appearing in her courtroom.
Judge Turner was appointed to the bench in 2022. Judge Turner graduated from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2007. She began her legal career writing appellate opinions as a law clerk at the Colorado Court of Appeals. Judge Turner worked for the Department of Justice, representing the Federal Bureau of Prisons and has served as District Attorney for the 11th Judicial District. She served as City Attorney for the City of Florence and also as a member of the City Council in Canon City.