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Geoffrey deWolfe

Trial Court · El Paso · El Paso

Meets Standards(Retain)3 cycles on record

Evaluation history

  • 1998 retention cycle
    Trial Court · El Paso · El Paso
    Meets Standards(Retain)
    Retention Year: 1998 Recommendation: Retain The Fourth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Geoffrey H. deWolfe BE RETAINED. Judge Geoffrey deWolfe received his undergraduate degree in 1968 from the College of Wooster where he majored in economics. He earned his Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Akron in 1972 and was admitted to the Colorado Bar in 1973. Judge deWolfe served as a VISTA volunteer and later as a staff attorney at Pikes Peak Legal Services. He was appointed in 1981 as an El Paso County Juvenile Magistrate, serving from 1981 until 1987, when he was appointed El Paso County Judge. Currently, approximately half of Judge deWolfe's caseload involve misdemeanors, while the remaining 50 percent of his cases are equally divided between civil and traffic matters. Overall, 75.6 percent of the written survey responses supported Judge deWolfe's retention.
  • 1994 retention cycle
    Trial Court · El Paso · El Paso
    Does Not Meet(Do Not Retain)
    Retention Year: 1994 Recommendation: Do Not Retain Judge Geoffrey deWolfe was first appointed as a County Court Judge in El Paso County in July of 1987. He was admitted to the Bar in 1973 after receiving his Juris Doctorate Degree in 1972 from the University of Akron and his undergraduate degree in 1968 from the College of Wooster. Upon graduation from law school Judge deWolfe served as a VISTA volunteer and later as a staff attorney at Pikes Peak Legal Services until he was appointed to serve as an El Paso County Juvenile Commissioner in 1981. He served in that capacity until appointed to the County Court in July of 1987. In a recent survey, Judge deWolfe received particularly low ratings form those responding legal practitioners that have practiced in front of him. Indeed, less than half (49.3%) of the lawyers responding voted he should be retained. 40.4% voted not to retain and 10.3% had no opinion on retention. Of principal concern to the practicing bar is Judge deWolfe’s apparent lack of judicial demeanor (54.0% felt it was inappropriate), his lack of courtesy (63% felt it was inappropriate) and his lack of compassion for those before him (57% felt he did not display compassion). Only 55% of the attorney responding believed Judge deWolfe displayed an appropriate sense of justice in his courtroom. In response to the large number of lawyers recommending he not be retained, Judge deWolfe has defended his desire for retention by stating he believed there has been a misunderstanding as to his personality type. He believes that he is a serious person who rarely smiles and that his serious demeanor has been misinterpreted as a lack of courtesy. He also points out that his marks for promptness in rulings, knowledge of the substantive law and diligence on the bench are all above a 70% approval rating. The Commission notes, however, that in comparison to other Judges surveyed, these ratings, with the exception of promptness in ruling, were comparatively low. Based on a review of the polling data, documents presented by Judge deWolfe it is the opinion of the Commission that Judge deWolfe SHOULD NOT BE RETAINED.
  • 1990 retention cycle
    Trial Court · El Paso · El Paso
    Meets Standards(Retain)
    Retention Year: 1990 Recommendation: Retain Judicial Performance Commission’s recommendation: Should Be Retained. Judge DeWolfe was appointed to the El Paso County Court in July 1987. He received his undergraduate degree from the College of Wooster in 1968 and obtained his Juris Doctor in 1972 from the University of Akron. He was admitted to the Colorado Bar in 1973 and served as a VISTA volunteer lawyer at Pikes Peak Legal Services upon graduation. He also served as a staff attorney at Pike Peak Legal Services and, immediately prior to being appointed to the bench, served as an El Paso County juvenile commissioner for almost six years. His current caseload includes county court civil and criminal cases, juvenile cases and domestic relations cases. Throughout the reading of the opinions regarding DeWolfe’s retention, it quickly became evident that more than two-thirds of the respondents believe him to be a highly competent and valuable member of the Fourth Judicial District judicial system. Most attorneys did not comment, but one who did thinks DeWolfe more often and more liberally favors the less fortunate and rules accordingly.  Reference also was made to him as “a good judge who continues to grow as time passes” and that “he is a ‘plus’ who belongs in the District Court.”

Surveys & reports

No survey reports on record for this judge.

Sources