First Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Tom Woodford
Retention Year: 2000
Recommendation: Retain
The First Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Tom Woodford, Chief Judge of the First Judicial District of Colorado, BE RETAINED.
Chief Judge Woodford has an outstanding record of community service. He has served on the Community Corrections Board, is a past president of the Wheat Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and is a past president of the First Judicial District Bar Association. He speaks to various community groups about the law and the courts. This role has expanded since his elevation to Chief Judge.
Of the attorneys surveyed, 93% favored retention, 2% favored non-retention and 5% had no opinion. Of the non-attorneys surveyed, 79% favored retention, 9% favored non-retention and 13% had no opinion.
His highest scores came in the area of judicial demeanor and court conduct, with scores in many of the areas measured near the top of the range for all judges.
The commission requests Judge Woodford to address two areas of concern. The first is to improve court time management, particularly with regard to the timely disposition of pre-trial motions and pleadings. This issue was raised by both attorneys and non-attorneys, and accounted for some of the judge's lowest scores. The second issue relates to his sentencing philosophy. Judge Woodford expressed a reluctance to impose prison sentences. The commission urges Judge Woodford to reevaluate his sentencing philosophy in the appropriate cases.