Seventh Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Larry E. Vickers
Retention Year: 2002
Recommendation: Retain
Reports:
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The Seventh Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Larry E. Vickers BE RETAINED.
The position of Hinsdale County Court judge is part-time. Judge Vickers, a lay judge (non-attorney), obtained a Bachelor and Masters degrees from Western State College. He was appointed Hinsdale County Court Judge in January of 1978. Prior to becoming a county court judge, he taught school in California and Colorado.
Judge Vickers’ workload consists of traffic cases, a small number of criminal proceedings and civil actions, totaling approximately 100 cases per year. The public approves of Judge Vickers performance. Judge Vickers manages his docket in a courteous and informal manner, and is readily available. He acknowledges a bias in favor of law enforcement witnesses but strives to remain impartial.
Judge Vickers stated that his strengths are knowing how to find the law and interpret it. He sees himself as a good person who tries hard, who treats people equally and with fairness. Judge Vickers described his weaknesses as his lack of legal training and feels that he is not a very good communicator. One of Judge Vickers’ goals for the year is to continue to be prepared.
Judge Vickers believes community service activities are important. In addition to his work on the bench, he takes an active role in the Lake City and Hinsdale County communities. He is a member of the board of directors of a local bank and operates a dude ranch and a guide and outfitting service.
The Commission conducted public hearings, interviews with attorneys and non-attorneys, a personal interview and reviewed Judge Vickers’ self-evaluation. Seventy-five percent of a small sampling of attorneys responding to the evaluation recommended that Judge Vickers
be retained in office. Of the non-attorneys, 83% recommended retention. The Commission was satisfied with Judge Vickers’ performance. The Commission recommends that Judge Vickers be retained.