Nineteenth Judicial District - Weld County Court Judge
Honorable Charles S. Unfug
Retention Year: 2014
Recommendation: Retain
Reports:
2014 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
2013 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
2011 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
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The Nineteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends by a vote of 9-0 (one commissioner being absent) that Judge Charles S. Unfug BE RETAINED.
Judge Unfug was appointed to the Weld County Court on January 3, 2002. Prior to that, he was a District Court Magistrate for five years. Judge Unfug graduated from Cornell University Law School in 1977. He was a lawyer in private practice for 20 years before being appointed as a magistrate in 1998. He is a member of the Weld County Bar Association and the Byron White Inn of Court. One of the goals of the Inn of Court is to promote ethical behavior and civility among lawyers. Judge Unfug believes that such behavior promotes public confidence in our legal system. In addition, Judge Unfug has been a member of Lions Clubs International for more than 35 years, and a member of the Greeley Elks Club for more than 20 years. Judge Unfug believes his membership in these community service clubs keeps him in touch with the everyday citizens of Weld County and reminds him that his judicial role is to act for the public interest of these citizens.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Unfug, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court, and reviewed surveys completed by attorneys and non-attorneys. Among the survey questions was “how strongly do you recommend that Judge Unfug be retained or not retained?” Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 72% recommended to retain, 16% recommended not to retain, and 12% made no recommendation. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 85% recommended to retain, 9% recommended not to retain, and 6% made no recommendation. (These percentages may not total 100% due to rounding).
Judge Unfug’s docket includes a mix of misdemeanor, traffic offenses, and civil cases. Based upon the survey results of attorneys, Judge Unfug received an overall average grade below the average grade for all County Court Judges standing for retention. Of the non-attorneys surveys, Judge Unfug received an overall grade slightly above the average grade for all County Court Judges standing for retention. Among the attorneys Judge Unfug scored the highest in the areas of communication and demeanor and lowest in the areas of application and knowledge of the law. Among non-attorneys, Judge Unfug scored highest in the areas of demeanor, fairness, and diligence. He scored slightly lower than the average for all judges standing for retention in the areas of communications and application of the law. In an effort to address concerns regarding his knowledge of the law, Judge Unfug has attended the National Judicial College the last five years and will be obtaining the Professional Certificate in Judicial Development. The members of the Commission noted his compassion for the parties who appear before him in court. As stated by Judge Unfug in his self-evaluation, “The people who appear before me...for misdemeanor and traffic cases, are, for the most part, good people who have made a mistake. I strive to treat each person fairly.”