Two district court judges standing for retention this November in the 6th Judicial District received favorable reviews from attorneys and laymen.
Jeffrey Wilson and William Herringer both were recommended for retention by a nominating commission in the district, which includes Archuleta, San Juan and La Plata counties.
Wilson was appointed in 2002 by former Gov. Bill Owens. Before that, Wilson worked in three district attorney’s offices and in private practice. He also has served as a prosecutor and a judge pro-tem for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
Wilson presides over civil, criminal, domestic, juvenile and dependency and neglect cases.
In a summary, the review commission described Wilson as fair, efficient, dedicated, hardworking and well-prepared.
Of attorneys completing a survey, 86 percent recommended Wilson be retained, and 15 percent recommended that he not be retained. (The percentages do not equal 100 percent as a result of rounding). Of nonattorneys completing the survey, 85 percent recommended Wilson be retained, 9 percent recommended that he not be retained, and 6 percent made no recommendation.
Herringer was appointed in November 2013 by Gov. John Hickenlooper. Before becoming judge, Herringer practiced criminal defense law as a public defender and in private practice.
The review commission praised him for his activity in the community, including presentations at local schools and to the regional bar association.
Of attorneys completing a survey, 91 percent recommended Herringer be retained and 9 percent made no recommendation. Of nonattorneys completing the survey, 62 percent recommended Herringer be retained, 22 percent recommended that he not be retained, and 17 percent made no recommendation.
District court judges stand for retention every six years.
The first retention election with commission reviews was held in 1990 in Colorado. As of 2014, the last retention vote, 1,323 judicial officers have stood for retention in 13 election cycles. During this time, commissions recommended to retain 1,290 judges (97.5 percent), while recommending 20 (1.5 percent) not be retained. Commissions offered no opinion on 13 judicial officers (1 percent) during this period.
Colorado voters elected to retain 1,312 of the 1,323 (99.2 percent) judges standing for retention since 1990.
Sixth Judicial District Judge Gregory Lyman was up for retention this year, but he announced plans last month to retire in January, eliminating the need for an evaluation and creating a vacancy for his position that attracted six candidates.
shane@durangoherald.com
