Chris Melonakis
Trial Court · Adams · Adams
Meets Standards(Retain)3 cycles on record
Evaluation history
- 2012 retention cycleTrial Court · Adams · AdamsMeets Standards(Retain)VotersRetained· 70.0% yes115,856 yes · 49,740 no50% needed to retainRetention Year: 2012 Recommendation: Retain Reports: 2012 Retention Survey Report (PDF) 2011 Interim Survey Report (PDF) 2009 Interim Survey Report (PDF) Need an accessible PDF Document version? Please click on the link below and email our staff Contact Us The Seventeenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously recommends that Judge Chris Melonakis BE RETAINED. Judge Melonakis, a District Judge for the Seventeenth Judicial District, was appointed to the District Court bench in 1998. Prior to his appointment, he had been engaged in the private practice of law for over 20 years. Judge Melonakis graduated from McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, Sacramento, California in May of 1977 with distinction, and did his undergraduate at Metropolitan State College of Denver graduating in May of 1974, Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science. Judge Melonakis presides over criminal, juvenile, civil, domestic relations, mental health, and probate cases. His current docket is 77% criminal. In arriving at their recommendation, Commission members interviewed Judge Melonakis personally after reviewing survey results provided by lawyers, parties, and other individuals who appeared in front of Judge Melonakis or otherwise observed him in court. The Commission members also reviewed Judge Melonakis’s self-evaluation, observed him in court, and reviewed a number of decisions rendered by the judge. The Commission believes that Judge Melonakis shares his expertise of the law both in and out of the courtroom. He keeps up to date on Supreme Court rulings and applies those rulings where applicable. He has a high regard for his position and high expectations of all that enter his courtroom. He answers their questions and educates them on courtroom procedure. Judge Melonakis is appreciative of the duties of the juries that sit for trials and always talks to them to thank them for their service. Judge Melonakis may seem harsh to the unprepared but he does not ask of others what he does not expect of himself, as each person that enters his courtroom deserves professionalism, preparedness, courtesy, and knowledgeable representation. During this election cycle, the Commission's survey results revealed that from attorneys and non-attorneys Judge Melonakis received ratings that were slightly above the statewide average among all district judges standing for retention. Of all attorneys surveyed about retention, with a sample size of 122, 86% recommended to retain, 9% not to retain, and 5% were undecided or didn’t have enough information to make a recommendation. Of those expressing an opinion to retain or not to retain, 91% recommended to retain and 9% not to retain. Of all non-attorneys surveyed, with a sample size of 800, 95% recommended to retain, 2% not to retain, and 2% were undecided or didn’t have enough information to make a recommendation. Of those expressing an opinion to retain or not to retain, 97% recommended to retain and 2% not to retain. (These percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.) Based on its review of returned surveys, review of several of Judge Melonakis’s decisions, courtroom observations, and interview of Judge Melonakis, the Commission unanimously recommends that Judge Chris Melonakis BE RETAINED.
- 2006 retention cycleTrial Court · Adams · AdamsMeets Standards(Retain)VotersRetained· 68.0% yes63,046 yes · 29,720 no50% needed to retainReports: 2006 Retention Survey Report (PDF) Need an accessible PDF Document version? Please click on the link below and email our staff Contact Us The Seventeenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously recommends that Judge Chris Melonakis BE RETAINED. Judge Melonakis is currently assigned to the Juvenile Division. He has done two year rotations in the Civil Division, the Criminal Division, and the Domestic Relations Division. Judge Melonakis was appointed to the Seventeenth Judicial District bench on May 26, 1998. Prior to this he was in private law general practice. Judge Melonakis has made many efforts to create a cost-effective “Model Court”. His case processing has been among the best in the state. He has served on numerous committees including: the Public Access Committee, Court Improvement Committee, and Judicial Conference Planning Committee. He was named the Colorado CASA Judge of the Year in 2003 and the Adams / Broomfield CASA Judge of the year in 2003, 2004, and 2005. He was designated as a National Model Court and National Model Court Lead Judge by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. The Commission reviewed written evaluations of Judge Melonakis from both attorneys and non-attorneys responding to a professionally conducted survey. Of the attorneys responding to the survey 92% recommended that he be retained. From the non-attorneys responding 79% recommended retention. Further, the Commission conducted a personal interview with the Judge and was impressed with his commitment to maintaining high judicial standards.
- 2000 retention cycleTrial Court · Adams · AdamsMeets Standards(Retain)VotersRetained· 69.9% yes61,694 yes · 26,554 no50% needed to retainRetention Year: 2000 Recommendation: Retain The Seventeenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously recommends that Judge Chris Melonakis BE RETAINED. Judge Melonakis, a District Judge for the Seventeenth Judicial District, was appointed to the District Court Bench in 1998. Prior to his appointment, he had been engaged in the private practice of law for over 20 years. Judge Melonakis has presided over domestic and criminal cases during his two-year tenure. He considers himself to be a hard-working judge who zealously researches, reads and studies the law before making a decision. Ratings from attorneys as well as non-attorneys support this evaluation of Judge Melonakis's knowledge and study of law. Comments from attorneys were mostly favorable and 90% of those responding recommended retention of this judge, with 10% rejecting retention. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of law enforcement, court personnel and litigants responding to the survey felt that Judge Melonakis should be retained, 23% voted to not retain and 8% had no opinion.
Surveys & reports
- 2012 cycle
- 2011 Interim Survey Report(PDF on OJPE)
Read full interim survey textexpand
## Page 1 State of Colorado Logo COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE TThhee HHoonnoorraabbllee CChhrriiss MMeelloonnaakkiiss 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey 17th Judicial District ## Page 2 May 6, 2011 The Honorable Chris Melonakis Adams County Justice Center 1100 Judicial Center Dr. Brighton, CO 80601 Dear Judge Melonakis: I am pleased to make available to you the attached copy of your 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey Report. The report is based on two surveys relating to how you are seen carrying out the performance of your office: One of attorneys who have had cases in your court or who are knowledgeable about your judicial performance, second a survey of non-attorneys who have observed your performance in court or who have otherwise been affected by your performance as a judge. In addition to this introduction, the report is divided into five main sections: 1. A brief summary of the results of the two surveys. 2. The numerical results of the survey of attorneys in both tabular and graphical form. In addition to the numerical results, this section also contains comments attorneys made about your judicial performance. In some instances the comments have been redacted to eliminate respondent identifying information. A copy of the attorney questionnaire is included in the final section of this report. 3. The numerical results of the survey of non-attorneys in both tabular and graphical form. In addition to the numerical results, this section also contains comments these respondent made on the subject of your judicial performance. In few instances the comments have been redacted to eliminate respondent identifying information. A copy of the non-attorney questionnaire is included in the final section of this report. 4. The fourth section of the Report discusses the methodology of the surveys. 5. The final section provides copies of the questions or questionnaires that were used for each survey. 100 Arap ahoe, Suite One, Boulder, CO 80302 Phone 303.443.5300 Fax 303.200.7385 ## Page 3 Hon. Chris Melonakis May 6, 2011 Page 2 If you have any questions about the methodology and how the survey was conducted, please feel free to contact me at 303-443-5300 ext 1 or by email at talmey@talmeyresearch.com (please put the words “Judicial Performance” in the subject line), and for any other questions you might have about the survey please call the Executive Director of the Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, Jane Howell, at 303-866-6465. Best regards, Paul A. Talmey President enc: ## Page 4 SSuummmmaarryy ooff RReessuullttss bbyy YYeeaarr aanndd JJuurroorr//NNoonn--JJuurroorr On average, district judges received an overall combined average grade in the 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey of 3.49--the overall average grade received from attorney respondents, 3.30, to the survey plus the overall average grade received from non-attorney respondents, 3.67, divided by two. Based on an average attorney grade of 3.50, and an average non-attorney grade of 3.75, Judge Chris Melonakis’s combined grade for the 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey of 3.63. Judge Melonakis Average Grade Combined Attorney Non-attorney Overall Grade 3.63 3.50 3.75 Sample Size - 103 620 Table 1 The results presented in this report are based on data from cases heard and closed by Judge Melonakis from 20051 through 2010. (See Methodology section for description of sampling process.) Table 2 shows Judge Melonakis’s overall average grades for each of these years. Judge Melonakis Average Grades by Year Combined Attorney Non-Attorney Average Average Sample Average Sample Year Score Score Size Score Size 2005 3.42 3.47 26 3.36 98 2007 3.50 3.37 7 3.63 44 2008 3.82 3.86 4 3.78 131 2009 3.70 3.55 35 3.85 201 2010 3.67 3.43 31 3.90 146 Overall 3.63 3.50 103 3.75 620 Table 2 Due to sending questionnaires to all jurors—not just a sample—and their much higher response rate than other non-attorneys surveyed, the percentage of jurors in the district judge sample of the non-attorney survey is 66%. Moreover, jurors tend to grade judges much higher than non-jurors. The juror overall average grade for district judges was 1 There were no surveys conducted based on cases that closed in 2006. See methodology section for more details. 1 ## Page 5 3.86, while the overall average grade awarded by non-jurors was 3.28. The effect of this is that judges with a higher percentage of jurors in their sample tend to have higher average grades in the non-attorney survey than those judges with a small percentage of jurors. The number of jurors in a judge’s sample is, of course, closely related to the number of jury trials the judge presides over. The table below shows Judge Melonakis’s non-attorney results broken out by jurors and non-jurors for each year from 2005 to 2010. It also shows the overall average juror and non-juror grades for all district judges. Judge Melonakis Average Grades by Year Jurors Non-Jurors All District Judges Average Sample Average Sample Juror Non-Juror Year Score Size % Score Size % Average Average 2005 3.96 19 19% 3.21 79 81% 3.84 3.25 100 2007 % 3.63 44 % 3.86 3.31 2008 3.86 106 81% 3.43 25 19% 3.87 3.30 2009 3.91 187 93% 3.04 14 7% 3.87 3.26 2010 3.91 134 92% 3.81 12 8% 3.88 3.28 All Yrs. 3.90 446 72% 3.37 174 28% 3.86 3.28 Table 3 Table 3 allows one to compare Judge Melonakis’s juror and non-juror grades with the all district judge averages to better ascertain if the judge is seen as performing relatively well or relatively poorly among these two subgroups. 2 ## Page 6 SSuurrvveeyy ooff AAtoorrnneeyyss RReeggaarrddiinngg JJuuddggee CChhrriiss MMeelloonnaakkiiss ((SSaammppllee SSiizzee 110033)) ## Page 7 Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Judge Chris Melonakis Chris Melonakis All District Sample Size = 103 A B C D Fail DK/NA Judges 1. Case Management: 1a. Promptly issuing a decision on the case after trial. 79% 6% 6% 0% 0% 10% 3.81 3.40 1b. Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. 77% 17% 5% 1% 0% 0% 3.71 3.41 1c. Promptly ruling on pre-trial motions. 78% 12% 6% 0% 1% 4% 3.72 3.24 1d. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 68% 16% 10% 3% 2% 2% 3.48 3.26 Overall Case Management 3.68 3.33 2. Application and Knowledge of Law: 2a. Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 77% 13% 6% 3% 2% 0% 3.59 3.29 2b. Basing decisions on evidence and arguments. 61% 17% 10% 5% 3% 4% 3.34 3.14 2c. Willing to reconsider error in fact or law. 51% 16% 17% 3% 6% 8% 3.13 3.02 2d. Issuing consistent sentences when the circumstances are 61% 15% 4% 2% 1% 17% 3.58 3.14 similar. Overall Application and Knowledge of Law 3.41 3.15 3. Communications: 3a. Making sure all participants understand the proceedings. 65% 24% 5% 3% 2% 1% 3.49 3.52 3b. Providing written communications that are clear, thorough 67% 13% 5% 3% 1% 12% 3.59 3.30 and well reasoned. Overall Communications 3.54 3.41 4. Demeanor: 4a. Giving proceedings a sense of dignity. 65% 18% 11% 4% 2% 0% 3.41 3.49 4b. Treating parties with respect. 45% 26% 18% 3% 8% 0% 2.97 3.41 4c. Conducting his/her courtroom in a neutral manner. 50% 29% 9% 6% 6% 0% 3.13 3.29 4d. Consistently applying laws and rules. 64% 23% 7% 3% 3% 1% 3.43 3.24 Overall Demeanor 3.24 3.36 5. Diligence: 5a. Using good judgment in application of relevant law and 75% 16% 3% 3% 3% 1% 3.58 3.18 rules. 5b. Doing the necessary homework and being prepared for 82% 8% 6% 0% 1% 4% 3.76 3.33 his/her cases. 5c. Being willing to handle cases on the docket even when 80% 6% 6% 1% 2% 6% 3.70 3.41 they are complicated and time consuming. Overall Diligence 3.68 3.31 Overall Average Grade: 3.50 3.30 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey 4 ## Page 8 Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Percentage Judge Chris Melonakis Chris Melonakis All District Judges Sample Size = 103 Would you say the judge is: Very biased in favor of the prosecution 2% 11% Somewhat biased in favor of the prosecution 21% 26% Completely neutral 74% 47% Somewhat biased in favor of the defense 2% 8% Very biased in favor of the defense 0% 2% Don't know or not sure 2% 4% 8. How strongly do you recommend that the Judge be retained in office, or not be retained in office? [Percentages excluding undecided responses.] Strongly recommend retain 81% 72% Somewhat recommend retain 9% 16% Somewhat recommend not retain 5% 6% Strongly recommend not retain 4% 6% Total Retain 90% 88% Total Not Retain 9% 12% [Percentages including undecided responses.] Strongly recommend retain 78% 69% Somewhat recommend retain 9% 15% Undecided or Don't Know 4% 4% Somewhat recommend not retain 5% 6% Strongly recommend not retain 4% 6% Total Retain 87% 84% Undecided/Don't Know 4% 4% Total Not Retain 9% 12% 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey 5 ## Page 9 Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Grades 3.50 Overall Average Grade 3.30 Q1. Overall Case Management 3.68 3.33 1a. Promptly issuing a decision on the 3.81 case after trial. 3.40 1b. Maintainingappropriate control over 3.71 proceedings. 3.41 3.72 1c. Promptlyruling on pre-trial motions. 3.24 1d.Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 3.48 3.26 3.41 Q2. OverallApp & Knowledge of Law 3.15 2a. Beingable to identify and analyze 3.59 relevant facts. 3.29 2b.Basing decisions on evidence and argument. 3.34 3.14 3.13 2c. Willing to reconsider error in fact or law. 3.02 2d. [Criminal only] Issuing consistant sentences 3.58 whencircumstances are simmilar. 3.14 3.54 Q3. Overall Communication 3.41 3a.Making sure all participants understand 3.49 the proceedings. 3.52 3b. Providing written communications that are 3.59 clear, thorough and well reasoned. 3.30 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis All District Judges Judge Chris Melonakis 6 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey ## Page 10 Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Grades 3.24 Q4. Overall Demeanor 3.36 3.41 4a. Giving proceedingsa sense of dignity. 3.49 2.97 4b. Treating participants with respect. 3.41 4c. Conducting [his/her] courtroom 3.13 in a neutral manner. 3.29 3.43 4d. Consistanly applyinglaws and rules. 3.24 3.68 Q5. Overall Diligence 3.31 5a. Using good judgement in application of 3.58 releveant laws and rules. 3.18 5b. Doing the necessary 'homework' and 3.76 being prepared for [his/her] cases. 3.33 5c. Being willing to handle cases on the docket even 3.70 when they are complicated and time consuming. 3.41 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Biased in favor of prosecution/defense. 2% Very biased in favor of the prosecution 11% 21% Somewhat biased in favor of the prosecution 26% 74% Completely Neutral 47% 2% Somewhat biased in favor of the defense 8% 0% Very biased in favor of the defense 2% 2% Don't know/not sure 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Chris Melonakis All District Judges 7 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey ## Page 11 Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Q8. How strongly do you recommend that Judge Melonakis be retained or not retained in office? Excluding Undecided Respondents 81% Strongly recommend retain 72% 9% Somewhat recommend retain 16% All Dist Judge Melonakis Judges 5% Total Retain 90% 88% Somewhat recommend not retain Total Not Retain 9% 12% 6% 4% Strongly recommend not retain 6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Including Undecided Respondents 78% Strongly recommend retain 69% 9% Somewhat recommend retain 15% All Dist 4% Judge Melonakis Judges Undecided or DK 4% Total Retain 87% 84% Undecided or DK 4% 4% 5% Somewhat recommend not retain Total Not Retain 9% 12% 6% 4% Strongly recommend not retain 6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Chris Melonakis All District Judges 8 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey ## Page 12 SSuurrvveeyy ooff NNoonn--AAtoorrnneeyyss RReeggaarrddiinngg JJuuddggee CChhrriiss MMeelloonnaakkiiss ((SSaammppllee SSiizzee 662200)) ## Page 13 Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Judge Chris Melonakis Chris Melonakis All District Sample Size = 620 A B C D Fail DK/NA Judges 1. Demeanor: 1a. Giving court proceedings a sense of dignity. 84% 11% 3% 1% 1% 0% 3.75 3.70 1b. Treating participants in the case politely and with respect. 81% 13% 2% 1% 2% 0% 3.70 3.72 1c. Conducting court in a neutral manner. 84% 10% 2% 1% 3% 0% 3.74 3.67 1d. Having a sense of compassion and human understanding 79% 15% 2% 1% 3% 0% 3.66 3.61 for those who appear before the court. Overall Demeanor 3.71 3.68 2. Fairness: 2a. Giving participants an opportunity to be heard. 84% 11% 2% 1% 2% 1% 3.73 3.69 2b. Treating those involved in the case without bias. 83% 12% 1% 1% 3% 0% 3.72 3.65 2c. Treating fairly people who represent themselves. 55% 8% 1% 1% 2% 34% 3.72 3.66 2d. Giving each side enough time to present his or her case. 81% 14% 1% 0% 2% 1% 3.74 3.69 Overall Fairness 3.73 3.67 3. Communications: 3a. Making sure participants understand the proceedings, and 85% 11% 2% 1% 1% 1% 3.78 3.72 what is going on in the courtroom. 3b. Using language that everyone can understand. 81% 15% 2% 1% 1% 0% 3.74 3.74 3c. Speaking clearly so everyone in the courtroom can hear 84% 13% 1% 0% 1% 0% 3.78 3.75 what is being said. Overall Communications 3.77 3.74 4. Diligence: 4a. Beginning court on time 77% 17% 2% 2% 0% 1% 3.71 3.54 4b. Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. 88% 9% 1% 0% 1% 0% 3.84 3.75 4c. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 77% 13% 2% 0% 1% 7% 3.78 3.64 4d. Being prepared for cases. 86% 9% 1% 1% 1% 2% 3.81 3.71 4e. Managing court proceedings so that there is little wasted 83% 12% 2% 0% 1% 1% 3.77 3.58 time. Overall Diligence 3.78 3.64 5. Application of Law: 5a. Giving reasons for rulings. 80% 13% 1% 1% 1% 3% 3.76 3.60 5b. Willing to make decisions without regard to possible 77% 9% 2% 0% 1% 11% 3.79 3.64 outside pressure. 5c. Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 82% 10% 2% 0% 2% 4% 3.76 3.63 Overall Application of Law 3.77 3.62 Overall Average Grade: 3.75 3.67 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey 10 ## Page 14 Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Percentage Judge Chris Melonakis Chris Melonakis All District Judges Sample Size = 620 6. How biased do you think the Judge is toward the defense or prosecution? [Please see the questionnaire at the end of report for question wording.] Biased in favor of the prosecution total 6% 8% Competely neutral 89% 86% Biased in favor of the defense total 6% 6% [A positive average indicates bias toward prosecution, and a Average 0.02 0.07 negative average indicates a bias toward the defense.] 7. How lenient or harsh do you think the sentences generally handed down by Judge are? [Please see the questionnaire at the end of report for question wording.] Harsh sentencing total 6% 8% Competely neutral 88% 82% Lenient sentencing total 6% 10% [A positive average indicates sentences are harsh, and a Average 0.08 0.04 negative average indicates sentences are lenient.] 10. How strongly do you recommend that the Judge be retained or not retained in office? [Percentages excluding undecided responses.] Strongly recommend retain 91% 89% Somewhat recommend retain 4% 6% Somewhat recommend not retain 1% 2% Strongly recommend not retain 4% 4% Total Retain 95% 95% Total Not Retain 5% 6% [Percentages including undecided responses.] Strongly recommend retain 89% 84% Somewhat recommend retain 4% 6% Undecided or Don't Know 2% 5% Somewhat recommend not retain 1% 2% Strongly recommend not retain 3% 4% Total Retain 93% 90% Undecided/Don't Know 2% 5% Total Not Retain 4% 6% 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey 11 ## Page 15 Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Grades 3.75 Overall Average Grade 3.67 3.71 Q1. Overall Demeanor 3.68 3.75 1a. Giving proceedings a sense of dignity. 3.70 1b. Treating participants politely and with respect. 3.70 3.72 1c. Conducting the courtroom in a neutral 3.74 manner. 3.67 1d. Having a sense of compassion and human 3.66 understanding for those who appear before the judge. 3.61 3.73 Q2. Overall Fairness 3.67 2a. Giving participants an opportunity to be 3.73 heard. 3.69 2b. Treating those involved in the 3.72 case without bias. 3.65 2c. Treats people fairly who represent 3.72 themselves. 3.66 2d. Giving each side enough time to present his 3.74 or her case. 3.69 3.77 Q3. Overall Communtications 3.74 3a. Making sure participants understand the 3.78 proceedings, and what's going on in the courtroom. 3.72 3b. Using language that everyone can 3.74 understand. 3.74 3c. Speaking clearly so everyone in the courtroom 3.78 can hear what's being said. 3.75 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis All District Judges Judge Chris Melonakis 12 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey ## Page 16 Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Grades 3.78 Q4. Overall Diligence 3.64 3.71 4a. Beginning court on time. 3.54 4b. Maintaining appropriate control over 3.84 proceedings. 3.75 4c. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 3.78 3.64 4d. Being prepared for his or her cases. 3.81 3.71 4e. Managing court proceedings so that there is 3.77 little wasted time. 3.58 3.77 Q5. Overall Legal Ability 3.62 5a. Giving reasons for rulings. 3.76 3.60 5b. Willing to make decision without regard to 3.79 possible outside pressure. 3.64 5c. Being able to identify and analyze 3.76 relevant facts. 3.63 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Q6 Biased in favor of prosecution/defense. 0.02 Chris Melonakis 0.07 All District Judges -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 Defense Prosecution Q7 Lenience or Harshness in Sentencing. 0.08 Chris Melonakis 0.04 All District Judges -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 Lenient Harsh Chris Melonakis All District Judges 13 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey ## Page 17 Chris Melonakis All District Judges Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Q10. How strongly do you recommend that Judge Melonakis be retained or not retained in office? Excluding Undecided Respondents 91% Strongly recommend retain in office 89% 4% Somewhat recommend retain in office 6% All Dist Judge Melonakis Judges Total Retain 95% 95% 1% Somewhat recommend not retain in office Total Not Retain 5% 6% 2% 4% Strongly recommend not retain in office 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Including Undecided Respondents 89% Strongly recommend retain in office 84% 4% Somewhat recommend retain in office 6% 2% All Dist Undecided 5% Judge Melonakis Judges Total Retain 93% 90% 1% Undecided 2% 5% Somewhat recommend not retain in office 2% Total Not Retain 4% 6% 3% Strongly recommend not retain in office 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Chris Melonakis All District Judges 14 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey ## Page 18 MMeetthhooddoollooggyy ## Page 19 MMeetthhooddoollooggyy The results shown in the 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey Report are based on two surveys: The Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges, and the Survey of Non- Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges. Below is a description of the methodology used in the two surveys. I Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges a. Sample: Talmey-Drake Research & Strategy received case data with the names of people who had likely been in each judge’s courtroom from five primary sources: Colorado Judicial Department Colorado District Attorneys’ Council Denver County Courts District Attorney’s Office, Second Judicial District (Denver) District Attorney’s Office, Ninth Judicial District Additional information was provided by the State Public Defender’s Office and the courts in the 1st and 18th Judicial Districts. The data from these different data sources are combined, duplicates removed and addresses corrected. i. Prior to 2009, the survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges was conducted using paper questionnaires mailed to the attorneys’ offices. A sample of attorneys drawn from the case data were assigned to evaluate judges subject to the following rules applied in the order shown. 1. No attorney would be asked to evaluate the same judge in a 24-month period. 2. If an attorney was eligible to evaluate both a trial judge and an appellate judge, the attorney was assigned to evaluate the appellate judge. 3. If there were several judges the attorney could potentially evaluate, the attorney was assigned the judge with whom he or she had had the most cases during the sampling time frame, or the judge with the smallest sample in order to even out sample sizes among judges. Attorneys were mailed a questionnaire, and if they did not respond they were sent a reminder postcard followed by a second questionnaire and in some cases a second reminder postcard. Questionnaires were barcoded, and if an attorney mailed back two questionnaires, the second one was deleted from the data file. Attorneys who did not complete the survey after the second request were then telephoned and asked to complete the survey by phone. 16 ## Page 20 ii. In 2009 the Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Survey moved from being a paper survey mailed to potential respondents to an online survey. Moving the survey to online permitted asking individual attorneys to evaluate up to five trial judges, and with the exception of the effects of the modified assignment rules 1 through 3 below, it became a survey of all attorneys who had cases before trial judges. Allowing an attorney to evaluate up to five judges, entailed slightly modifying the assignment rules: 1. No attorney would be asked to evaluate the same justice or judge in a 24-month period. 2. If an attorney was eligible to evaluate both a trial judge and an appellate judge, the attorney was assigned to evaluate the appellate judge. 3. If there were more than five judges who could be assigned to the attorney, the attorney was assigned the judges with whom he or she had had the most cases during the sampling time frame, or the judges with the smallest samples in order to even out sample sizes among judges. Attorneys were first mailed a letter about the online survey to let them know that they would soon receive an email with a link to the survey. The Web address of the survey and a password were included in the letter if the attorney wanted to complete the survey immediately. A week after the first email was sent, a follow-up email was sent. Potential respondents who did not complete the survey after the second email were then telephoned and asked to either complete the survey then by phone, or to please complete it online. iii. In 2010, and going forward, rule #2 above was changed so that an attorney could be asked to evaluate a combination of up to seven trial judges or Court of Appeals judges, if the attorney had had a case before the COA. Attorneys who had cases before the both the Supreme Court and trial judges during the sample time frame were asked to evaluate all seven Supreme Court justices, and not asked to evaluate the trial judges. The results shown in the 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey Report for the Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges survey are based on the combined survey results collected from January 2005 through March 30, 20111 for those questions that have been consistently asked during that time period. Since 2010, the Judicial Performance Survey reports have been based on a moving average, or rolling sample, of survey results collected over a period of time equal to the justice’s or judge’s term of office: ten years for a Supreme Court justice, eight years for a COA judge, six years for a district judge and four years for a county judge. To use a district judge as an example: as survey data is collected it is pooled together for six years. After six years, as new data is added to the judge’s survey results in the first quarter of the seventh year, the oldest quarter of data in the pool is deleted. The current data for all judges only goes back as far as 2005—or the year the judge took the bench—therefore the rolling of the survey results only affects the county judge sample in the 2011 Interim reports. 1 The State Commission on Judicial Performance authorized continuous surveying in 2007. Prior to 2007 data was only collected in the odd numbered years before the retention reports were issued. Therefore, while data was gathered in 2005 and 2007 through the 1st quarter of 2011, and used in this report, there was no data collected in 2006. 17 ## Page 21 b. Questions: The survey questions asked respondents to use a grade of A, B, C, D, or F to assess the justice or judge's performance on twelve aspects of judicial performance. (See Questionnaire section.) These grades were then converted to a numerical scores where A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1 and Fail = 0. The A through F scale was chosen because it is almost universally recognized and understood. This makes it easy for respondents to complete their questionnaire, and for the public to interpret the results. Respondents were also asked if they considered the judge biased toward the defense or prosecution in criminal cases. In a final question, respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they would recommend that the justice or judge be retained or not retained in office. c. Comments: In addition to the A through F questions, respondents were also asked what they considered to be the judge’s strengths and what they considered to be the judge’s weaknesses. By statute these comments are confidential and only provided to the judge and the District Commission on Judicial Performance. They are not released to the public when the rest of the report is released. Before being given to the judge and the Commission, an attempt is made to redact all respondent identifying information from the comments. Since 2005 there have been changes to the number of comment questions asked, though the strengths and weaknesses questions have been posed in every survey. The number to the left of each comment refers to the same attorney respondent in both the strengths section and the weaknesses section. Most spelling and typographical errors have been fixed, but where the respondent entered a comment in all upper or all lower case, or without punctuation, the comment was not corrected. d. Analysis: The Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges section first shows a table of the percentage distribution for each of the A through F questions, including “don’t know” responses. The next column to the right shows the judge’s average grade for each question. For comparison purposes, averages were also computed for all district judges and are shown in the furthest right column on the page. Tables showing the percentage distribution for all questions for all district judges are located at the end of this methodology section. The overall question averages are calculated by adding up the averages for each question and dividing by the number of questions. 18 ## Page 22 The next table shows the percentage distribution of the responses to the question about recommending retention. The first column of percentages is for the report-judge and the second column displays the percentages for all district judges. The percentages are shown both including and excluding “don’t know/undecided” responses. The next page displays the question averages in horizontal bar-graph form. The percentage distribution to the retention question is then presented in the graph on the next page. The third part of the Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges section of the report lists the comments the attorney made about the judge’s strengths and weaknesses. e. Cooperation Rate: The overall response rate for the Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Survey is calculated as the number of completed survey-evaluations (the number of judges an attorney chose to evaluate) divided by the number of possible evaluations (the number of judges the attorney could have evaluated) resulting in an overall response rate of 43.3% for district judges and 33.4% for county judges. An equivalent response rate for an individual judge is computed as the number of completed survey-evaluations for that judge divided by the number of possible evaluations that could have been completed for the judge. Since 2009 attorneys have generally been asked to evaluate multiple judges per survey cycle, which affects the way cooperation rates are calculated and results in what appear to be lower overall cooperation rates. However, comparing the percentage of unique attorneys who responded to the mail surveys conducted from 2005 to 2008 to the percentage of unique attorneys who responded to the online surveys conducted from 2009 to the first quarter of 2011 yields very similar percentages. From 2005 to 2008 6,347 unique attorneys were asked to participate in the Judicial Performance mail surveys. Four thousand three (3,984), or 62.8%, responded with a completed questionnaire. Similarly, from 2009 through the first quarter 2011 Talmey-Drake asked 7,589 unique attorneys to participate in the Judicial Performance online survey, of which an almost identical percentage, 62.9% (4,777 attorneys) responded with one or more completed survey-evaluations of a judge. On average each attorney responding to the online survey request evaluated 3.7 judges. 2 2 Because Talmey-Drake deletes survey results associated with judges who are no longer on the bench, the counts used in this paragraph refer only to data collected regarding trial judges who are active at this writing. 19 ## Page 23 II Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges a. Sample: Talmey-Drake Research & Strategy received case data with the names of non-attorneys who had likely been in each judge’s courtroom from five primary sources: Colorado Judicial Department Colorado District Attorneys’ Council Denver County Courts District Attorney’s Office, Second Judicial District (Denver) District Attorney’s Office, Ninth Judicial District The data from these different data sources are combined, duplicates removed and addresses corrected. Depending on the number of names available to be sampled for each judge, a random sample was drawn if the quantity of potential respondents was large. On the other hand, if the count of possible respondents was small, all potential respondents were included in the sample. Where a person had been in more than one judge’s courtroom, the selection criteria for which judge he or she would be sent a questionnaire was generally for the judge in whose courtroom the potential respondent had been in most often. Each person whose name was sampled for the Non-Attorney Survey was mailed an initial postcard informing the recipient that he or she would be receiving a questionnaire. Two to three weeks after the post card was mailed, the potential respondent was sent a personalized introductory letter and a questionnaire with a postage-paid return envelope. If the person did not respond, a second questionnaire and letter were sent approximately four weeks later. Questionnaires are barcoded, and if a respondent mailed back two questionnaires, the second one was deleted from the data file. Since in 2010, non-attorney section of the Judicial Performance Survey reports have been based on a moving average, or rolling sample, of survey results collected over a period of time equal to the judge’s term of office: six years for a district judge and four years for a county judge. To use a district judge as an example: as survey data is collected it is pooled together for six years. After six years, as new data is added to the judge’s survey results in the first quarter of the seventh year, the oldest quarter of data in the pool is deleted. The current data for all judges only goes back as far as 2005—or the year the judge took the bench—therefore the rolling of the survey results only affects the county judge sample in the 2011 Interim reports. 3 3 The State Commission on Judicial Performance authorized continuous surveying in 2007. Prior to 2007 data was only collected in the odd numbered years before the retention reports were issued. Therefore, while data was gathered in 2005 and 2007 through the 1st quarter of 2011, and used in this report, there was no data collected in 2006. 20 ## Page 24 b. Questions: The survey questions asked respondents to use a grade of A, B, C, D, or F to assess the justice or judge's performance on twelve aspects of judicial performance (See Questionnaire section.) These grades were then converted to a numerical scores where A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1 and Fail = 0. The A through F scale was chosen because it is almost universally recognized and understood. This makes it easy for respondents to complete their questionnaire, and for the public to interpret the results. Respondents were also asked if they considered the judge biased toward the defense or prosecution in criminal cases. In a final question, respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they would recommend that the justice or judge be retained or not retained in office. A copy of the questionnaire is included in the last section of this report. c. Analysis: The Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges section first shows a table of the percentage distribution for each of the A through F questions, including “don’t know” responses. The next column to the right shows the judge’s average grade for each question. For comparison purposes, averages were also computed for all district judges and are shown in the furthest right column on the page. Tables showing the percentage distribution for all questions for all district judges are located at the end of this methodology section. The overall question averages are calculated by adding up the averages for each question and dividing by the number of questions. The next table shows the percentage distribution of the responses to the questions about prosecution or defense bias and recommending retention. The first column of percentages is for the report-judge and the second column displays the percentages for all district judges. The percentages for the retention question are shown including and excluding “don’t know/undecided” responses. The next page displays the question averages in horizontal bar-graph form. The percentage distribution of the prosecution-defense bias and retention questions are then presented in the graph on the next page. The third part of the Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges section of the report lists the comments the attorney made about the judge’s strengths and weaknesses. d. Comments: In addition to the A through F questions, non-attorney respondents were asked what they considered to be the judge’s strengths and what they considered to be the judge’s weaknesses. By statute these comments are confidential and only provided to the judge and the District Commission on Judicial Performance. They are not released to the public when the rest of the report is released. Before being given to the judge and the 21 ## Page 25 Commission, an attempt is made to redact all respondent identifying information from the comments. Since 2005 there have been changes to the number of comment questions asked, though the strengths and weaknesses questions have been posed in every survey. The number to the left of each comment refers to the same attorney respondent in both the strengths section and the weaknesses section. e. Cooperation Rate: The estimated cooperation rate for the Non-attorney Survey is calculated as the number of completed questionnaires divided by the number of eligible respondents who actually received a questionnaire. The following table shows the total number of questionnaires mailed, completed, non-responses and refusals, undeliverables and other responses. The table presents the estimated overall cooperation rate as well as the cooperation rate by the different types of respondents. The true cooperation rates are likely higher than shown because of the percentage of people who were mailed questionnaires about judges who they had not observed. This is due, in part, to many cases being disposed of without the parties having appeared in court, as well as in the case of law enforcement, the data includes all those who were subpoenaed for a case, not just those who appeared. A table of the response counts by respondent type for Judge Melonakis is shown below, and on the next page is a table of the overall cooperation rates for both the attorney and non-attorney regarding trial judges surveys for all district judges. 22 ## Page 26 Judge Chris Melonakis Judge Response Counts by Type of Respondent Total No Undeliverable/ Other Non- Coop Role Type Sent Response Not Applicable Responses Completes Rate Attorneys Criminal District Attorneys 74 40 1 0 33 45.2% Defense Attorneys 121 83 1 0 37 30.8% Other Attorneys Criminal 1 0 0 0 1 100.0% Civil Attorneys for Litigants 42 16 4 0 22 57.9% Other Attorneys Civil 12 4 3 0 5 55.6% GAL 14 8 1 0 5 38.5% Total Attorneys 264 151 10 0 103 40.6% Non-attorneys Criminal Witness 102 45 36 4 17 25.8% Other 37 26 6 0 5 16.1% Law Enforcement 248 116 64 4 64 34.8% Defendant 210 110 74 1 25 18.4% Civil Litigant 167 82 53 0 32 28.1% Other 30 23 3 0 4 14.8% Non-Attorneys, Unknown Role Type 159 96 41 1 21 17.8% Jurors 851 369 25 11 446 54.0% Employees 29 13 7 3 6 27.3% Total Non-attorneys 1833 880 309 24 620 40.7% Grand Total: 2097 1031 319 24 723 40.7% 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey 23 ## Page 27 Total Response Counts by Type of Respondent for All District Judges Total No Undeliverable/ Other Non- Completes Cooperation Sent Response Not Applicable Responses Rate Attorneys Criminal District Attorneys 5963 3735 108 3 2117 36.2% Defense Attorneys 9005 5407 125 0 3473 39.1% Other Attorneys Criminal 310 260 2 1 47 15.3% Civil Attorneys for Litigants 9795 4329 410 17 5039 53.7% Other Attorneys Civil 6107 3564 63 4 2476 41.0% GAL 101 43 5 0 53 55.2% Attorneys, Unknown Role Type 193 60 22 0 111 64.9% Total Attorneys 31474 17398 735 25 13316 43.3% Non-attorneys Criminal Victim 149 85 40 3 21 19.3% Witness 13212 6730 4190 587 1705 18.9% Other 5595 3441 1430 55 667 16.0% Law Enforcement 13854 7651 3233 295 2674 25.2% Defendant 40047 19046 17527 241 3226 14.3% Civil Litigant 23266 13519 5107 291 4337 23.9% Witness 618 306 139 15 158 33.0% Other 679 317 150 18 194 36.7% Non-Attorneys, Unknown Role Type 2763 1447 1003 4 309 17.6% Jurors 48708 18523 2771 544 26770 58.3% Employees 905 283 121 66 435 55.5% Total Non-attorneys 149796 71348 35711 2119 40496 35.5% Grand Total: 181270 88746 36446 2144 53812 37.2% 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey 24 ## Page 28 Projectability Most surveys seen by the public are surveys that are intended to be projectable, that is the results from the sample of people surveyed can be used to estimate a percentage or value of the population sampled with a known probability of error. For example, a pre- election poll of 500 likely Colorado voters is used to estimate the percentage of voters who will vote for Candidate A versus Candidate B on election day, plus or minus some number of percentage points. The plus or minus amount is usually what is known as the 95%-confidence interval (the known probability of error), or what the media often refers to as the margin-of-error. Neither of the two surveys that make up this report, Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges and the Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges, are projectable with a known probability of error because the results are calculated from a self-selecting sample that is self-selecting based on the content and subject matter of the survey. In other words, the potential respondent knows the purpose and content of the survey, and based on that, decides whether to respond to the survey. While projectability within a known probability of error is a highly desirable attribute of a survey, it is often not feasible to achieve. Commercial market research often uses nonprojectable (and small) samples-the most well known of which are for focus groups. Moreover, the federal courts have long accepted, and do not expect, projectable samples for market confusion surveys used in trademark litigation. In other words, one can still use the results of the Judicial Performance Evaluation Survey to estimate how everyone who has observed a justice or judge in the courtroom would grade him or her, just not with a known probability of error. The Judicial Performance Evaluation Survey is a valuable means, perhaps the only practical means, for the Judicial Performance Commissions to have a summary of structured interviews with a number of people who have courtroom familiarity with the judge being evaluated, and who most often—albeit not always—are responding out of a desire to improve the performance of our state's judicial system. 25 ## Page 29 Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges All District Judges Average Sample Size = 13316 A B C D Fail DK/NA Grade 1. Case Management: 1a.Promptly issuing a decision on the case after trial. 50% 20% 7% 3% 2% 19% 3.40 1b.Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. 61% 24% 9% 3% 2% 2% 3.41 1c.Promptly ruling on pre-trial motions. 46% 25% 10% 4% 2% 12% 3.24 1d.Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 51% 27% 10% 4% 3% 4% 3.26 Overall Case Management 3.33 2. Application and Knowledge of Law: 2a.Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 54% 26% 10% 5% 2% 2% 3.29 2b.Basing decisions on evidence and arguments. 47% 24% 11% 6% 4% 8% 3.14 2c.Willing to reconsider error in fact or law. 38% 20% 10% 6% 4% 21% 3.02 2d.Issuing consistent sentences when the circumstances are 35% 23% 9% 4% 3% 26% 3.14 similar. Overall Application and Knowledge of Law 3.15 3. Communications: 3a.Making sure all participants understand the proceedings. 64% 24% 7% 2% 1% 2% 3.52 3b.Providing written communications that are clear, thorough 49% 24% 9% 4% 2% 12% 3.30 and well reasoned. Overall Communications 3.41 4. Demeanor: 4a. Giving proceedings a sense of dignity. 67% 21% 7% 2% 2% 1% 3.49 4b. Treating parties with respect. 66% 19% 7% 4% 3% 1% 3.41 4c. Conducting his/her courtroom in a neutral manner. 60% 20% 9% 5% 4% 2% 3.29 4d. Consistently applying laws and rules. 54% 23% 10% 5% 3% 5% 3.24 Overall Demeanor 3.36 5. Diligence: 5a.Using good judgment in application of relevant law and 52% 25% 11% 6% 4% 2% 3.18 rules. 5b.Doing the necessary homework and being prepared for 56% 24% 9% 4% 2% 5% 3.33 his/her cases. 5c.Being willing to handle cases on the docket even when 55% 19% 7% 3% 2% 14% 3.41 they are complicated and time consuming. Overall Diligence 3.31 Overall Average Grade: 3.30 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey 26 ## Page 30 Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average All District Judges Grade Sample Size = 13316 Would you say the judge is: Very biased in favor of the prosecution 11% Somewhat biased in favor of the prosecution 26% Completely neutral 47% Somewhat biased in favor of the defense 8% Very biased in favor of the defense 2% Don't know or not sure 4% 8. How strongly do you recommend that the Judge be retained in office, or not be retained in office? [Percentages excluding undecided responses.] Strongly recommend retain 72% Somewhat recommend retain 16% Somewhat recommend not retain 6% Strongly recommend not retain 6% Total Retain 88% Total Not Retain 12% [Percentages including undecided responses.] Strongly recommend retain 69% Somewhat recommend retain 15% Undecided or Don't Know 4% Somewhat recommend not retain 6% Strongly recommend not retain 6% Total Retain 84% Undecided/Don't Know 4% Total Not Retain 12% 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey 27 ## Page 31 Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges All District Judges Average Sample Size = 40496 A B C D Fail DK/NA Grade 1. Demeanor: 1a.Giving court proceedings a sense of dignity. 80% 14% 3% 1% 1% 1% 3.70 1b.Treating participants in the case politely and with respect. 82% 11% 3% 1% 2% 1% 3.72 1c.Conducting court in a neutral manner. 80% 12% 3% 2% 2% 1% 3.67 1d.Having a sense of compassion and human understanding 75% 14% 3% 2% 3% 2% 3.61 for those who appear before the court. Overall Demeanor 3.68 2. Fairness: 2a.Giving participants an opportunity to be heard. 80% 12% 3% 2% 2% 1% 3.69 2b.Treating those involved in the case without bias. 79% 12% 3% 2% 3% 2% 3.65 2c.Treating fairly people who represent themselves. 51% 7% 2% 1% 2% 38% 3.66 2d.Giving each side enough time to present his or her case. 78% 12% 3% 1% 2% 3% 3.69 Overall Fairness 3.67 3. Communications: 3a.Making sure participants understand the proceedings, and 81% 12% 3% 1% 1% 1% 3.72 what is going on in the courtroom. 3b.Using language that everyone can understand. 81% 14% 3% 1% 1% 1% 3.74 3c.Speaking clearly so everyone in the courtroom can hear 82% 12% 3% 1% 1% 1% 3.75 what is being said. Overall Communications 3.74 4. Diligence: 4a.Beginning court on time 67% 21% 6% 2% 2% 2% 3.54 4b.Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. 82% 12% 3% 1% 1% 1% 3.75 4c.Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 69% 14% 4% 1% 2% 10% 3.64 4d.Being prepared for cases. 78% 12% 3% 1% 2% 5% 3.71 4e.Managing court proceedings so that there is little wasted 71% 19% 5% 2% 2% 2% 3.58 time. Overall Diligence 3.64 5. Application of Law: 5a.Giving reasons for rulings. 71% 14% 4% 2% 3% 7% 3.60 5b.Willing to make decisions without regard to possible 66% 10% 3% 1% 3% 18% 3.64 outside pressure. 5c.Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 73% 12% 3% 2% 3% 8% 3.63 Overall Application of Law 3.62 Overall Average Grade: 3.67 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey ## Page 32 Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average All District Judges Grade Sample Size = 40496 6. How biased do you think the Judge is toward the defense or prosecution? [Please see the questionnaire at the end of report for question wording.] Biased in favor of the prosecution total 8% Competely neutral 86% Biased in favor of the defense total 6% Average 0.07 7. How lenient or harsh do you think the sentences generally handed down by Judge are? [Please see the questionnaire at the end of report for question wording.] Harsh sentencing total 8% Competely neutral 82% Lenient sentencing total 10% Average 0.04 2011 Interim Judicial Performance Survey ## Page 33 QQuueessttiioonnnnaaiirreess ## Page 34 Colorado Judicial Performance Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Survey Questions _ Which of the following types of cases have you observed Judge (Last Name)’s performance? Please circle all that apply. (Only respondents who indicate they have observed the judge in “criminal other than traffic” cases will be asked question 2c and question 6.) Civil . 1 Criminal other than traffic . 2 Traffic . 3 Domestic . 4 Juvenile . 5 Probate . 6 Other . 9 1. Case Management: a. Promptly issuing a decision on the case after trial. A B C D F DK/NS b. Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. A B C D F DK/NS c. Promptly ruling on pre-trial motions. A B C D F DK/NS d. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. A B C D F DK/NS 2. Application and Knowledge of Law: a. Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. A B C D F DK/NS b. Basing decisions on evidence and arguments. A B C D F DK/NS c. Willing to reconsider error in fact or law. A B C D F DK/NS d. [Criminal only] Issuing consistent sentences when the circumstances are similar. A B C D F DK/NS 3. Communications: a. Makings sure all participants understand the proceedings. A B C D F DK/NS b. Providing written communications that are clear, thorough and well reasoned. A B C D F DK/NS 4. Demeanor: a. Giving proceedings a sense of dignity. A B C D F DK/NS b. Treating participants with respect. A B C D F DK/NS c. Conducting his/her courtroom in a neutral manner. A B C D F DK/NS d. Consistently applying laws and rules. A B C D F DK/NS 5. Diligence: a. Using good judgment in application of relevant law and rules. A B C D F DK/NS b. Doing the necessary “homework” and being prepared for his/her cases. A B C D F DK/NS c. Being willing to handle cases on the docket even when they are complicated and time consuming. A B C D F DK/NS 1 ## Page 35 Having observed Judge (Last Name) in a criminal case, would you say the judge is: (This question is asked only if respondent indicated at the beginning of the survey he/she observed the judge in a criminal case.) Very biased in favor of the prosecution . 1 Somewhat biased in favor of the prosecution . 2 Completely Neutral . 3 Somewhat biased in favor of the defense . 4 Very biased in favor of the defense . 5 Don’t Know/Not Sure . 9 6. What would you say are Judge (Last Name)’s strengths? _ _ _ 7. What would you say are Judge (Last Name)’s weaknesses? _ _ _ 8. Keeping in mind your responses to each of the previous questions, how strongly do you recommend that Judge (Last Name) be retained in office, or not retained in office? Strongly recommend he be retained in office . 5 Somewhat recommend he be retained in office . 4 Undecided or don’t know enough to make recommendation . 3 Somewhat recommend he not be retained in office . 2 Strongly recommend he not be retained in office . 1 2 ## Page 36 9. And what would you say are Judge [Last Name]’s weaknesses? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Commission on Judicial Performance ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Evaluation of 10. Keeping in mind your responses to each of the previous questions, how JUDGE [FULL NAME] strongly do you recommend that Judge [Last Name] be retained in office, or not retained in office? Strongly recommend he/she be retained in office ................................ 5 Somewhat recommend he/she be retained in office ............................ 4 Undecided or don’t know enough to make recommendation ............. 3 If we have made a mistake and you either were not in Judge [Last Somewhat recommend he/she not be retained in office ..................... 2 Name]’s courtroom in the past 18 months, or you feel that you do not Strongly recommend he/she not be retained in office ......................... 1 have sufficient experience with Judge [Last Name] to have an opinion the judge’s judicial performance, please just return this questionnaire, unanswered, in the enclosed postage-paid envelope, to stop any further requests to evaluate Judge [Last Name]. Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Please place it in the self-addressed, postage-paid envelope provided and place it in the mail. Your participation in this survey is very much appreciated. Using a grade scale, where an “A” is excellent along with B, C, D or F for fail, please grade the judge on the following. (If you feel that you don’t have experience with the judge in a specific area, or just don’t know, please circle the number corresponding to “Don’t Know/Not Applicable”—DK/NA). DK 1. Demeanor: A B C D F N/A a. Giving court proceedings a sense of dignity. 4 3 2 1 0 9 b. Treating participants in the case politely and with respect. 4 3 2 1 0 9 c. Conducting his/her courtroom in a neutral manner. 4 3 2 1 0 9 d. Having a sense of compassion and human understanding for those who appear before him/her. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ## Page 37 DK 6. [If you were in [Last Name]’s courtroom during a criminal case or 2. Fairness: A B C D F N/A cases please answer this question, otherwise skip to the next a. Giving participants an opportunity to be heard. 4 3 2 1 0 9 question.] On the scale below, please indicate by circling the appropriate b. Treating those involved in the case without bias. 4 3 2 1 0 9 number how biased you think Judge [Last Name] is toward the defense or c. Treating fairly people who represent themselves. 4 3 2 1 0 9 the prosecution. If you feel Judge [Last Name] is completely unbiased, circle “0.” d. Giving each side enough time to present his or her case. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Bias toward Completely Bias toward Defense Neutral Prosecution DK 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 3. Communications: A B C D F N/A a. Makings sure participants understand the 7. [If you were in [Last Name]’s courtroom during a criminal case or proceedings, and what’s going on in the cases please answer this question, otherwise skip to the next courtroom. 4 3 2 1 0 9 question.] On the scale below, please indicate by circling the appropriate b. Using language that everyone can understand. 4 3 2 1 0 9 number how lenient or how harsh you think the sentences generally handed c. Speaking clearly so everyone in the courtroom down by [Last Name] are. If you feel Judge [Last Name] generally hands can hear what’s being said. 4 3 2 1 0 9 down appropriate sentences, circle “0.” DK Sentences Appropriate Sentences 4. Diligence: A B C D F N/A Too Light Sentences Too Harsh a. Beginning court on time. 4 3 2 1 0 9 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 b. Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. 4 3 2 1 0 9 c. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 4 3 2 1 0 9 d. Being prepared for his/her cases. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Though your name will never be associated with your answers, because the judge will e. Managing court proceedings so that there is see a typed transcript of the comments that you and others write, it is important that little wasted time. 4 3 2 1 0 9 you do not include information in the comments below that would unintentionally identify you as the author. 8. What would you say are Judge [Last Name]’s strengths? DK ___________________________________________________________ 5. Application of Law: A B C D F N/A ___________________________________________________________ a. Giving reasons for rulings. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ___________________________________________________________ b. Willing to make decision without regard to ___________________________________________________________ possible outside pressure. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ___________________________________________________________ c. Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ___________________________________________________________ Continued on Back Page - 2012 Retention Survey Report(PDF on OJPE)
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## Page 1 State of Colorado Logo COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE TThhee HHoonnoorraabbllee CChhrriiss MMeelloonnaakkiiss 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report 17th Judicial District ## Page 2 March 26, 2012 The Honorable Chris Melonakis Adams County Justice Center 1100 Judicial Center Dr. Brighton, CO 80601 Dear Judge Melonakis: I am pleased to make available to you the attached copy of your 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report. This report includes the survey results from three important stakeholder groups: 1) attorneys who have had cases in your court or who are knowledgeable about your judicial performance; 2) appellate judges; and 3) non- attorneys who have observed your performance in court or who have knowledge of your performance as a judge. In addition to this introduction, the report is divided into six main sections: 1. A brief summary of the results of the attorney and non-attorney surveys. 2. The numerical results of the survey of attorneys in both tabular and graphical form. In addition to the numerical results, this section also contains comments attorneys made about your judicial performance. In some instances the comments have been redacted to eliminate respondent identifying information. A copy of the attorney questionnaire is included in the final section of this report. 3. The numerical results of the survey of appellate judges in tabular form, and any comments the justices and judges might have made about your judicial performance. 4. The numerical results of the survey of non-attorneys in both tabular and graphical form. In addition to the numerical results, this section also contains comments these respondents made on the subject of your judicial performance. In few instances the comments have been redacted to eliminate respondent identifying information. A copy of the non-attorney questionnaire is included in the final section of this report. 5. The fifth section of the report discusses the methodology of the surveys. 6. The final section provides copies of the questions or questionnaires that were used for each survey. ## Page 3 Hon. Chris Melonakis March 26, 2012 Page 2 If you have any questions about the methodology and how the survey was conducted, please feel free to contact me at 505-821-5454 or by email at sanderoff@rpinc.com (please put the words “Judicial Performance” in the subject line), and for any other questions you might have about the survey please call the Executive Director of the Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, Jane Howell, at 303-866-6465. Best regards, Brian Sanderoff President enc: 5140 SAN FRANCISCO RD NE, ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87109 WWW.RPINC.COM 505-821-5454 ## Page 4 Summary of Results Respondents rated judges on various questions using an A to F scale, in which the grades were then converted to numerical scores: A= 4, B=3, C=2, D=1 and F=0. An average score of 4.0 is the highest possible score and a 0.0 is the lowest possible score. On average, Judge Chris Melonakis received an overall combined average grade of 3.64 in the 2012 Judicial Performance Survey. This is calculated by adding the overall average grade received from attorney respondents, 3.47, to the overall average grade received from non-attorney respondents, 3.81, divided by two. The average combined grade for all district judges standing for retention in 2012 is 3.47 (not shown below). Judge Melonakis Average Grades (All Years) Combined Attorney Non-attorney Overall Grade 3.64 3.47 3.81 Sample Size - 122 800 Table 1 The results presented in this report are based on data collected in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. (See Methodology section for description of sampling process.) Provisional judges will not have samples for the years prior to their appointment. Table 2 shows Judge Melonakis’s overall average grades for each year in which survey results are available. Judge Melonakis Average Grades by Year Combined Attorney Non-Attorney Average Average Sample Average Sample Year Score Score Size Score Size 2007 3.50 3.37 7 3.63 44 2008 3.82 3.86 4 3.78 131 2009 3.70 3.55 35 3.85 201 2010 3.67 3.43 31 3.90 146 2011 3.60 3.43 45 3.77 278 Overall 3.64 3.47 122 3.81 800 Table 2 1 ## Page 5 Comparison of Jurors vs. Non-Jurors Among Non-Attorney Population Among the non-attorney population, jurors tend to grade judges much higher than non- jurors. The juror overall average grade for all district judges standing for retention in 2012 is 3.88, while the overall average grade awarded by non-jurors is 3.28. The effect of this is that judges with a higher percentage of jurors in their sample tend to have higher average grades in the non-attorney survey than those judges with a small percentage of jurors. The number of jurors in a judge’s sample is, of course, closely related to the number of jury trials the judge presides over. The table below shows Judge Melonakis’s non-attorney results broken out by jurors and non-jurors. It also shows the overall average juror and non-juror grades for all district judges standing for retention in 2012 (see two columns on far right). Judge Melonakis Average Grades for Jurors vs. Non-Jurors (All Years) All District Judge Melonakis Retention Judges Jurors Non-Jurors Average Sample Average Sample Juror Non-Juror Score Size % Score Size % Average Average 3.90 589 74% 3.55 211 26% 3.88 3.28 Table 3 2 ## Page 6 SSuurrvveeyy ooff AAtoorrnneeyyss RReeggaarrddiinngg JJuuddggee CChhrriiss MMeelloonnaakkiiss ((SSaammppllee SSiizzee 112)) ## Page 7 Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Judge Chris Melonakis Chris Melonakis All District Sample Size = 122 A B C D Fail DK/NA Retention Judges 1. Case Management: 1a. Promptly issuing a decision on the case after trial. 75% 11% 6% 0% 0% 8% 3.76 3.32 1b. Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. 75% 16% 7% 2% 0% 0% 3.62 3.40 1c. Promptly ruling on pre-trial motions. 78% 12% 6% 0% 1% 3% 3.72 3.20 1d. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 64% 20% 9% 4% 1% 2% 3.45 3.22 Overall Case Management 3.64 3.29 2. Application and Knowledge of Law: 2a. Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 78% 13% 5% 3% 1% 0% 3.64 3.32 2b. Basing decisions on evidence and arguments. 63% 21% 9% 5% 2% 0% 3.39 3.19 2c. Willing to reconsider error in fact or law. 42% 20% 17% 5% 8% 7% 2.89 2.96 2d. Issuing consistent sentences when the circumstances are 66% 14% 6% 3% 1% 10% 3.56 3.15 similar. Overall Application and Knowledge of Law 3.37 3.16 3. Communications: 3a. Making sure all participants understand the proceedings. 65% 26% 7% 2% 0% 1% 3.55 3.51 3b. Providing written communications that are clear, thorough 68% 17% 6% 2% 1% 6% 3.59 3.33 and well reasoned. Overall Communications 3.57 3.42 4. Demeanor: 4a. Giving proceedings a sense of dignity. 63% 21% 9% 6% 1% 0% 3.40 3.50 4b. Treating parties with respect. 47% 25% 18% 5% 6% 0% 3.02 3.41 4c. Conducting his/her courtroom in a neutral manner. 51% 28% 9% 8% 4% 0% 3.14 3.25 4d. Consistently applying laws and rules. 64% 22% 9% 3% 2% 1% 3.45 3.24 Overall Demeanor 3.25 3.35 5. Diligence: 5a. Using good judgment in application of relevant law and 70% 14% 6% 8% 2% 1% 3.45 3.18 rules. 5b. Doing the necessary homework and being prepared for 81% 8% 7% 0% 1% 3% 3.74 3.34 his/her cases. 5c. Being willing to handle cases on the docket even when 78% 7% 8% 2% 1% 5% 3.68 3.41 they are complicated and time consuming. Overall Diligence 3.62 3.31 Overall Average Grade: 3.47 3.29 Note: Respondents rated judges on various questions using an A to F scale, in which the grades were then converted to numerical scores: A= 4, B=3, C=2, D=1 and F=0. An average score of 4.0 is the highest possible score and a 0.0 is the lowest possible score. 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report 4 ## Page 8 Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Percentage Judge Chris Melonakis Chris Melonakis All District Retention Sample Size = 122 Judges Would you say the judge is: Very biased in favor of the prosecution 4% 11% Somewhat biased in favor of the prosecution 22% 24% Completely neutral 66% 49% Somewhat biased in favor of the defense 3% 9% Very biased in favor of the defense 0% 3% Don't know or not sure 5% 4% 8. How strongly do you recommend that the Judge be retained in office, or not be retained in office? Percentages excluding undecided/don't know responses. Strongly recommend retain 79% 71% Somewhat recommend retain 12% 16% Somewhat recommend not retain 5% 6% Strongly recommend not retain 4% 6% Total Retain 91% 87% Total Not Retain 9% 12% Percentages including undecided/don't know responses. Strongly recommend retain 75% 67% Somewhat recommend retain 11% 16% Undecided or Don't Know 5% 5% Somewhat recommend not retain 5% 6% Strongly recommend not retain 4% 6% Total Retain 86% 83% Undecided/Don't Know 5% 5% Total Not Retain 9% 12% 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report 5 ## Page 9 Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Grades 3.47 Overall Average Grade 3.29 Q1. Overall Case Management 3.64 3.29 1a. Promptly issuing a decision on the 3.76 case after trial. 3.32 1b. Maintaining appropriate control over 3.62 proceedings. 3.40 3.72 1c. Promptly ruling on pre-trial motions. 3.20 1d. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 3.45 3.22 3.37 Q2. Overall App & Knowledge of Law 3.16 2a. Being able to identify and analyze 3.64 relevant facts. 3.32 2b. Basing decisions on evidence and argument. 3.39 3.19 2.89 2c. Willing to reconsider error in fact or law. 2.96 2d. [Criminal only] Issuing consistent sentences 3.56 when circumstances are similar. 3.15 3.57 Q3. Overall Communication 3.42 3a. Making sure all participants understand 3.55 the proceedings. 3.51 3b. Providing written communications that are 3.59 clear, thorough and well reasoned. 3.33 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis All District Retention Judges Judge Chris Melonakis 6 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report ## Page 10 Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Grades 3.25 Q4. Overall Demeanor 3.35 3.40 4a. Giving proceedings a sense of dignity. 3.50 3.02 4b. Treating participants with respect. 3.41 4c. Conducting [his/her] courtroom 3.14 in a neutral manner. 3.25 3.45 4d. Consistently applying laws and rules. 3.24 3.62 Q5. Overall Diligence 3.31 5a. Using good judgment in application of 3.45 relevant laws and rules. 3.18 5b. Doing the necessary 'homework' and 3.74 being prepared for [his/her] cases. 3.34 5c. Being willing to handle cases on the docket even 3.68 when they are complicated and time consuming. 3.41 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Biased in favor of prosecution/defense. 4% Very biased in favor of the prosecution 11% 22% Somewhat biased in favor of the prosecution 24% 66% Completely Neutral 49% 3% Somewhat biased in favor of the defense 9% 0% Very biased in favor of the defense 3% 5% Don't know/not sure 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Chris Melonakis All District Retention Judges 7 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report ## Page 11 Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Q8. How strongly do you recommend that Judge Melonakis be retained or not retained in office? Excluding Undecided/Don't Know Respondents 79% Strongly recommend retain 71% 12% Excluding Und/DK Respondents Somewhat recommend retain 16% All Dist Retention Judge Melonakis Judges 5% Somewhat recommend not retain Total Retain 91% 87% 6% Total Not Retain 9% 12% 4% Strongly recommend not retain 6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Including Undecided/Don't Know Respondents 75% Strongly recommend retain 67% 11% Somewhat recommend retain 16% Including Und/DK Respondents 5% Undecided or DK All Dist 5% Retention Judge Melonakis Judges 5% Somewhat recommend not retain Total Retain 86% 83% 6% Undecided or DK 5% 5% Total Not Retain 9% 12% 4% Strongly recommend not retain 6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Chris Melonakis All District Retention Judges 8 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report ## Page 12 SSuurrvveeyy ooff AApeelaattee JJuuddggeess RReeggaarrddiinngg JJuuddggee CChhrriiss MMeelloonnaakkiiss ((SSaammppllee SSiizzee 2233)) ## Page 13 Survey of Appellate Judges Regarding District Judges Average Judge Chris Melonakis Sample Size = 23 All District No Chris Retention Evaluations of Judge Melonakis = 21 A B C D Fail Grade Melonakis Judges Judge Melonakis in terms of overall performance as a judge. 74% 4% 13% 0% 0% 9% 3.67 3.68 The Appellate Judges Regarding District Judges questionnaire asks only one question about each of the district judges eligible to stand for retention in 2012. While 23 out of 28 appellate judges completed the questionnaire, as expected most appellate judges only graded some of the listed district judges, marking the rest as “No Grade.” The number of evaluations shown below the sample size at the top of the page is the number of questionnaires returned with a letter grade for the judge. Please see the copy of the questionnaire in the Questionnaires section. 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report 10 ## Page 14 SSuurrvveeyy ooff NNoonn--AAtoorrnneeyyss RReeggaarrddiinngg JJuuddggee CChhrriiss MMeelloonnaakkiiss ((SSaammppllee SSiizzee 880)) ## Page 15 Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Judge Chris Melonakis Chris Melonakis All District Sample Size = 800 A B C D Fail DK/NA Retention Judges 1. Demeanor: 1a. Giving court proceedings a sense of dignity. 87% 10% 2% 1% 0% 0% 3.83 3.68 1b. Treating participants in the case politely and with respect. 84% 13% 2% 1% 1% 0% 3.79 3.69 1c. Conducting court in a neutral manner. 86% 10% 1% 1% 1% 1% 3.81 3.64 1d. Having a sense of compassion and human understanding 80% 15% 2% 1% 1% 1% 3.73 3.59 for those who appear before the court. Overall Demeanor 3.79 3.65 2. Fairness: 2a. Giving participants an opportunity to be heard. 86% 10% 1% 1% 1% 1% 3.81 3.66 2b. Treating those involved in the case without bias. 85% 11% 1% 1% 2% 1% 3.79 3.61 2c. Treating fairly people who represent themselves. 56% 8% 0% 1% 1% 34% 3.79 3.63 2d. Giving each side enough time to present his or her case. 84% 12% 1% 0% 1% 2% 3.81 3.67 Overall Fairness 3.80 3.64 3. Communications: 3a. Making sure participants understand the proceedings, and 87% 9% 2% 1% 0% 1% 3.83 3.70 what is going on in the courtroom. 3b. Using language that everyone can understand. 83% 15% 1% 0% 1% 0% 3.81 3.71 3c. Speaking clearly so everyone in the courtroom can hear 85% 13% 1% 0% 0% 0% 3.82 3.72 what is being said. Overall Communications 3.82 3.71 4. Diligence: 4a. Beginning court on time 79% 16% 2% 1% 0% 2% 3.76 3.53 4b. Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. 89% 9% 0% 0% 1% 1% 3.87 3.72 4c. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 79% 11% 1% 1% 1% 8% 3.81 3.62 4d. Being prepared for cases. 86% 9% 1% 1% 1% 3% 3.84 3.69 4e. Managing court proceedings so that there is little wasted 83% 13% 1% 1% 1% 1% 3.80 3.56 time. Overall Diligence 3.82 3.62 5. Application of Law: 5a. Giving reasons for rulings. 83% 11% 1% 1% 1% 4% 3.80 3.59 5b. Willing to make decisions without regard to possible 79% 8% 1% 1% 1% 11% 3.83 3.62 outside pressure. 5c. Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 83% 10% 2% 0% 1% 4% 3.80 3.60 Overall Application of Law 3.81 3.60 Overall Average Grade: 3.81 3.64 Note: Respondents rated judges on various questions using an A to F scale, in which the grades were then converted to numerical scores: A= 4, B=3, C=2, D=1 and F=0. An average score of 4.0 is the highest possible score and a 0.0 is the lowest possible score. 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report 12 ## Page 16 Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Percentage Judge Chris Melonakis Chris Melonakis All District Retention Sample Size = 800 Judges 6. How biased do you think the Judge is toward the defense or prosecution? [Please see the questionnaire at the end of report for question wording.] Biased in favor of the prosecution total 6% 9% Competely neutral 89% 84% Biased in favor of the defense total 5% 7% [A positive average indicates bias toward prosecution, and a Average 0.01 0.05 negative average indicates a bias toward the defense.] 7. How lenient or harsh do you think the sentences generally handed down by Judge are? [Please see the questionnaire at the end of report for question wording.] Harsh sentencing total 5% 10% Competely neutral 88% 80% Lenient sentencing total 7% 12% [A positive average indicates sentences are harsh, and a Average 0.02 0.04 negative average indicates sentences are lenient.] 10. How strongly do you recommend that the Judge be retained or not retained in office? Percentages excluding undecided/don't know responses. Strongly recommend retain 93% 87% Somewhat recommend retain 4% 6% Somewhat recommend not retain 1% 2% Strongly recommend not retain 1% 4% Total Retain 97% 93% Total Not Retain 2% 6% Percentages including undecided/don't know responses. Strongly recommend retain 91% 83% Somewhat recommend retain 4% 6% Undecided or Don't Know 2% 5% Somewhat recommend not retain 1% 2% Strongly recommend not retain 1% 4% Total Retain 95% 89% Undecided/Don't Know 2% 5% Total Not Retain 2% 6% 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report 13 ## Page 17 Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Grades 3.81 Overall Average Grade 3.64 3.79 Q1. Overall Demeanor 3.65 3.83 1a. Giving proceedings a sense of dignity. 3.68 1b. Treating participants politely and with respect. 3.79 3.69 1c. Conducting the courtroom in a neutral 3.81 manner. 3.64 1d. Having a sense of compassion and human 3.73 understanding for those who appear before the judge. 3.59 3.80 Q2. Overall Fairness 3.64 2a. Giving participants an opportunity to be 3.81 heard. 3.66 2b. Treating those involved in the 3.79 case without bias. 3.61 2c. Treats people fairly who represent 3.79 themselves. 3.63 2d. Giving each side enough time to present his 3.81 or her case. 3.67 3.82 Q3. Overall Communications 3.71 3a. Making sure participants understand the 3.83 proceedings, and what's going on in the courtroom. 3.70 3b. Using language that everyone can 3.81 understand. 3.71 3c. Speaking clearly so everyone in the courtroom 3.82 can hear what's being said. 3.72 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis All District Retention Judges Judge Chris Melonakis 14 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report ## Page 18 Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average Grades 3.82 Q4. Overall Diligence 3.62 3.76 4a. Beginning court on time. 3.53 4b. Maintaining appropriate control over 3.87 proceedings. 3.72 4c. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 3.81 3.62 4d. Being prepared for his or her cases. 3.84 3.69 4e. Managing court proceedings so that there is 3.80 little wasted time. 3.56 3.81 Q5. Overall Application of Law 3.60 3.80 5a. Giving reasons for rulings. 3.59 5b. Willing to make decision without regard to 3.83 possible outside pressure. 3.62 5c. Being able to identify and analyze 3.80 relevant facts. 3.60 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Q6 Biased in favor of prosecution/defense. 1 0.01 Chris Melonakis 0.05 All District Retention Judges -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 Defense Prosecution 1-A negative average score indicates bias toward the defense, and a positive average score indicates bias toward prosecution. Q7 Lenience or Harshness in Sentencing. 2 0.02 Chris Melonakis 0.04 All District Retention Judges -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 Lenient Harsh 2-A negative average score indicates sentences are lenient, and a positive average score indicates sentences are harsh. Chris Melonakis All District Retention Judges 15 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report ## Page 19 Judge Chris Melonakis Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Q10. How strongly do you recommend that Judge Melonakis be retained or not retained in office? Excluding Undecided/Don't Know Respondents 93% Strongly recommend retain in office 87% 4% Somewhat recommend retain in office Excluding Und/DK Respondents 6% All Dist Retention 1% Somewhat recommend not retain in office Judge Melonakis Judges 2% Total Retain 97% 93% Total Not Retain 2% 6% 1% Strongly recommend not retain in office 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Including Undecided /Don't Know Respondents 91% Strongly recommend retain in office 83% 4% Somewhat recommend retain in office 6% 2% Including Und/DK Respondents Undecided 5% All Dist Retention 1% Judge Melonakis Judges Somewhat recommend not retain in office Total Retain 95% 89% 2% Undecided 2% 5% 1% Total Not Retain 2% 6% Strongly recommend not retain in office 4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Chris Melonakis All District Retention Judges 16 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report ## Page 20 MMeetthhooddoollooggyy ## Page 21 MMeetthhooddoollooggyy The results shown in the 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report are based on three surveys: The Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges, the Survey of Appellate Judges Regarding District Judges, and the Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges. Below is a description of the methodology used in the three surveys. I Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges a. Sample: Research & Polling, Inc. received case data with the names of attorneys who had likely been in each judge’s courtroom from the following primary sources: Colorado Judicial Department Colorado District Attorneys’ Council Colorado Public Defender’s Office Denver County Courts District Attorney’s Office, Second Judicial District (Denver) District Attorney’s Office, Ninth Judicial District The data from these different sources are combined, duplicates removed, and addresses corrected. In 2011, the following changes were made to the Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges survey process: Only judges that are standing for retention in 2012 were evaluated during this reporting cycle (the intent was to increase the number of completed attorney evaluations for each retention judge by excluding those not standing for retention). The number of possible judges that attorney respondents could evaluate was increased from seven to 10. Attorneys are first mailed a letter inviting them to complete the survey online. The letter provides the link to the online survey, as well as a unique password to access the survey. Approximately one week later, attorneys are sent an email invitation to complete the online survey, which also provides the Web address and their unique password. About a week after the first email is sent, a reminder email is sent, providing the same information. Potential respondents who do not complete the survey after the second email are then telephoned and asked to either complete the survey by phone, or to complete it online. Since 2010, the Judicial Performance Survey reports are based on a moving average, or rolling sample, of data collected over a period of time equal to the justice’s or judge’s term of office: ten years for a Supreme Court justice, eight years for a COA judge, six years for a district judge, and four years for a county judge. To use a district judge as an 18 ## Page 22 example: as survey data is collected it is pooled together for six years. After six years, as new data is added to the judge’s survey results, the oldest data in the pool is deleted. b. Questions: Respondents evaluated judges on 17 aspects of judicial performance using a grade scale of A, B, C, D, or F. (See Questionnaire section.) These grades were then converted to a numerical score where A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1 and Fail = 0. The A through F scale was chosen because it is almost universally recognized and understood. This makes it easy for respondents to complete their questionnaire, and for the public to interpret the results. Respondents were also asked if they considered the judge biased toward the defense or prosecution in criminal cases. In a final question, respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they would recommend that the judge be retained or not retained in office. c. Comments: Respondents were also asked what they considered to be the judge’s strengths and weaknesses. By statute, these comments are confidential and only provided to the judge and the District Commission on Judicial Performance. They are not released to the public when the rest of the report is released. Before being given to the judge and the Commission, an attempt is made to redact all respondent identifying information from the comments. Since 2005, there have been changes to the number of comment questions asked, though the strengths and weaknesses questions have been posed in every survey. The number to the left of each comment refers to the same attorney respondent in both the strengths section and the weaknesses section. Most spelling and typographical errors have been corrected. d. Analysis: The Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges section first shows a table of the percentage distribution for each of the A through F questions, including “don’t know/not applicable” responses. The next column to the right shows the judge’s average grade for each question. For comparison purposes, averages were also computed for all district judges standing for retention in 2012 and are shown in the furthest right column on the page. Tables showing the percentage distribution for all questions for all district retention judges are located at the end of this methodology section. The overall question averages are calculated by adding up the averages for each question and dividing by the number of questions. The next table shows the percentage distribution of the responses to the question about recommending retention. The first column of percentages is for the report-judge and the second column displays the percentages for all district retention judges. The 19 ## Page 23 percentages are shown both including and excluding “undecided/don’t know” responses. The next page displays the question averages in horizontal bar-graph form. The percentage distribution to the retention question is then presented in the graph on the next page. The third part of the Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges section of the report lists the comments the attorneys made about the judge’s strengths and weaknesses. e. Cooperation Rate: The overall cooperation rate for the Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Survey is calculated as the number of completed survey evaluations divided by the number of possible evaluations resulting in an overall response rate of 45.7% for district judges and 37.6% for county judges. An equivalent response rate for an individual judge is computed in the same manner. II Appellate Judges Regarding District Judges a. Sample: Twenty-eight appellate judges (Supreme Court and Court of Appeals) were sent a questionnaire asking them to evaluate the district judges eligible to stand for retention in November 2012. b. Questions: The questionnaire consisted of one question about each district judge concerning overall performance (see Questionnaire section). The A through F responses were converted to a numerical scores where A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1 and Fail = 0. c. Comments: In addition to the A through F questions, the appellate judge respondents were given the opportunity to write a comment about each district judge. By statute, these comments are confidential and only provided to the district judge and the District Commission on Judicial Performance. They are not released to the public when the rest of the report is released. Before being given to the district judge and the Commission, an attempt is made to redact all respondent identifying information from the comments. An effort has been made to correct spelling and typographical errors. d. Analysis: The Appellate Judges Regarding District Judges section shows a table of the percentage distribution for the one question, including “don’t know/not applicable” responses. 20 ## Page 24 The next column to the right shows the judge’s average grade for that question. For comparison purposes, the average grade was also computed for all district judges eligible to stand for retention in 2012 and is shown in the furthest right column on the page. The second part of the Appellate Judges Regarding District Judges lists the judges’ and justices’ comments, if any. e. Cooperation Rate: A questionnaire was sent to 28 Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges. Twenty-three questionnaires were returned, though not all 23 showed grades for every district judge. III Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges a. Sample: Research & Polling, Inc. received case data with the names of non-attorneys who had likely been in each judge’s courtroom from the following primary sources: Colorado Judicial Department Colorado District Attorneys’ Council Colorado Public Defender’s Office Denver County Courts District Attorney’s Office, Second Judicial District (Denver) District Attorney’s Office, Ninth Judicial District The data from these different sources are combined, duplicates removed, and addresses corrected. In 2011, only the judges standing for retention in 2012 were evaluated. The intent was to increase the number of completed non-attorney evaluations for each retention judge by excluding those not standing for retention. For this evaluation cycle, the following changes were made to the Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges survey process: Court staff, probation officers, and court interpreters were asked to complete the survey online, with the possibility of evaluating up to 10 judges RPI surveyed all non-attorneys with courtroom experience instead of a random sample of each sub-population (i.e. court employees, court interpreters, probation officers, witnesses, law enforcement personnel, jurors, crime victims, litigants, etc.). The only exception to this is the criminal defendants, for which RPI selected a random sample. As stated above, court staff, probation officers, and court interpreters were asked to complete the survey online. They are sent an email invitation to complete the online survey, which also provides the Web address and their unique password. About a week after the first email is sent, a reminder email is sent, providing the same information. Other non-attorneys were surveyed via standard mail. First, they were mailed an initial postcard informing the recipient that he or she would be receiving a questionnaire. Two 21 ## Page 25 to three weeks after the postcard was mailed, the potential respondent was sent a personalized introductory letter and a questionnaire with a postage-paid return envelope. If the person did not respond, a second questionnaire and letter were sent approximately four weeks later. Questionnaires are barcoded, and if a respondent mailed back two questionnaires, the second one was deleted from the data file. Since 2010, the non-attorney section of the Judicial Performance Survey reports have been based on a moving average, or rolling sample, of survey results collected over a period of time equal to the judge’s term of office: six years for a district judge and four years for a county judge. To use a district judge as an example: as survey data is collected it is pooled together for six years. After six years, as new data is added to the judge’s survey results, the oldest data in the pool is deleted. b. Questions: Respondents evaluated judges on 19 aspects of judicial performance using a grade scale of A, B, C, D, or F. (See Questionnaire section.) These grades were then converted to a numerical score where A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1 and Fail = 0. The A through F scale was chosen because it is almost universally recognized and understood. This makes it easy for respondents to complete their questionnaire, and for the public to interpret the results. Respondents were also asked if they considered the judge biased toward the defense or prosecution in criminal cases. In a final question, respondents were asked to indicate how strongly they would recommend that the justice or judge be retained or not retained in office. A copy of the questionnaire is included in the last section of this report. c. Analysis: The Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges section first shows a table of the percentage distribution for each of the A through F questions, including “don’t know/not applicable” responses. The next column to the right shows the judge’s average grade for each question. For comparison purposes, averages were also computed for all district judges standing for retention in 2012 and are shown in the furthest right column on the page. Tables showing the percentage distribution for all questions for all district retention judges are located at the end of this methodology section. The overall question averages are calculated by adding up the averages for each question and dividing by the number of questions. The next table shows the percentage distribution of the responses to the questions about prosecution or defense bias and recommending retention. The first column of percentages is for the report-judge and the second column displays the percentages for all district retention judges. The percentages for the retention question are shown including and excluding “undecided/don’t know” responses. 22 ## Page 26 The next page displays the question averages in horizontal bar-graph form. The percentage distribution of the prosecution-defense bias and retention questions are then presented in the graph on the next page. The third part of the Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges section of the report lists the comments the non-attorneys made about the judge’s strengths and weaknesses. d. Comments: In addition to the A through F questions, non-attorney respondents were asked what they considered to be the judge’s strengths and weaknesses. By statute, these comments are confidential and only provided to the judge and the District Commission on Judicial Performance. They are not released to the public when the rest of the report is released. Before being given to the judge and the Commission, an attempt is made to redact all respondent identifying information from the comments. Since 2005 there have been changes to the number of comment questions asked, though the strengths and weaknesses questions have been posed in every survey. The number to the left of each comment refers to the same non-attorney respondent in both the strengths section and the weaknesses section. e. Cooperation Rate: The estimated cooperation rate for the non-attorney survey is calculated as the number of completed questionnaires divided by the number of eligible respondents who actually received a questionnaire. The following table shows the total number of questionnaires mailed, completed, non-responses and refusals, undeliverables, and other responses. The table presents the estimated overall cooperation rate as well as the cooperation rate by the different types of respondents. The true cooperation rates are likely higher than shown because of the percentage of people who were mailed questionnaires about judges with whom they may not have had sufficient experience. This is due, in part, to many cases being disposed of without the parties having appeared in court, as well as in the case of law enforcement, the data includes all those who were subpoenaed for a case, not just those who appeared. A table of the response counts by respondent type for Judge Melonakis is shown on the following page, and on the next page is a table of the overall cooperation rates for both the Attorney and Non-Attorney Regarding Trial Judges surveys for all district judges. 23 ## Page 27 Judge Chris Melonakis Judge Response Counts by Type of Respondent Total No Undeliverable/ Other Non- Coop Role Type Sent Response Not Applicable Responses Completes Rate Attorneys Criminal District Attorneys 125 58 21 0 46 44.2% Defense Attorneys 188 111 15 0 62 35.8% Other Attorneys Criminal 1 0 0 0 1 100.0% Civil Attorneys for Litigants 22 9 4 0 9 50.0% Other Attorneys Civil 11 4 3 0 4 50.0% Total Attorneys 347 182 43 0 122 40.1% Non-attorneys Criminal Witness 517 252 190 24 51 15.6% Other 37 26 6 0 5 16.1% Law Enforcement 362 196 74 14 78 27.1% Defendant 544 276 223 6 39 12.1% Civil Litigant 78 36 20 0 22 37.9% Other 2 1 0 0 1 50.0% Jurors 1091 452 37 13 589 55.9% Employees, including Interpreters 22 7 1 1 13 61.9% Probation Officers 6 3 1 0 2 40.0% Total Non-attorneys 2659 1249 552 58 800 38.0% Grand Total: 3006 1431 595 58 922 38.2% 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report 24 ## Page 28 Total Response Counts by Type of Respondent for All District Retention Judges Total No Undeliverable/ Other Non- Completes Cooperation Sent Response Not Applicable Responses Rate Attorneys Criminal District Attorneys 2526 1265 381 0 880 41.0% Defense Attorneys 3297 1732 263 0 1302 42.9% Other Attorneys Criminal 22 13 0 0 9 40.9% Civil Attorneys for Litigants 2327 1053 103 1 1170 52.6% Other Attorneys Civil 2328 1099 246 0 983 47.2% GAL 11 1 0 0 10 90.9% Total Attorneys 10511 5163 993 1 4354 45.7% Non-attorneys Criminal Victim 52 36 10 0 6 14.3% Witness 7389 3621 2563 353 852 17.7% Other 1084 619 301 15 149 19.0% Law Enforcement 3846 2060 925 142 719 24.6% Defendant 14840 6599 7050 107 1084 13.9% Civil Litigant 6881 3945 1545 101 1290 24.2% Witness 123 58 25 1 39 39.8% Other 126 51 30 10 35 36.5% Jurors 13266 4866 907 173 7320 59.2% Employees, including Interpreters 704 135 95 13 461 75.7% Probation Officers 572 160 116 2 294 64.5% Total Non-attorneys 48883 22150 13567 917 12249 34.7% Grand Total: 59394 27313 14560 918 16603 37.0% 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report 25 ## Page 29 A Final Word Regarding the Survey Results The most frequently asked question that we receive from judges regarding the survey statistics is, “What is the margin of sampling error associated with these results?” The answer to this question is that a margin of error cannot be calculated since we are not selecting a random sample of eligible respondents (attorneys and non-attorneys) to be surveyed; instead, we are attempting to survey all members of the eligible population. Since we are not generating a random sample, we cannot estimate a percentage or value of the population sampled with a known probability of error. Every eligible respondent in the attorney and non-attorney population is now given an opportunity to evaluate judges with whom they have had a recent experience.1 The only exception is among the criminal defendant population, in which, due to its size, a random sample is selected. The respondents know the purpose and content of the survey, and based on that, decide whether to respond to it. Measures are taken to increase the response rate so that concerns regarding sampling bias can be mitigated. The higher the response rate, the more confident we can feel the results of the respondents are similar to the results of the non- respondents. Attorneys and non-attorneys receive multiple waves of reminders via email or mail to complete the survey. Further, all non-responding attorneys are then contacted on the telephone and given the opportunity to complete the evaluation with the professional interviewer. RPI has contacted hundreds of non-responding attorneys to encourage their participation. We have been informed by the vast majority of the non-responding attorneys that the primary reason for not participating in the survey is because of a lack of sufficient information to evaluate that particular judge. The Judicial Performance Evaluation Survey is a valuable means, perhaps the only practical means, for the Commissions on Judicial Performance to have a summary of results from structured interviews among stakeholders who have courtroom familiarity with each judge being evaluated. We are continuing to take steps to increase cell sizes and cooperation rates for each judge in order to further enhance this evaluation program. 1 Attorneys have the opportunity to evaluate up to 10 judges on an online survey. Among the non- attorney population, court staff, probation officers, and interpreters also have the opportunity to evaluate up to 10 judges on an online survey. The remaining non-attorney populations are mailed a paper survey with the opportunity to evaluate one judge. 26 ## Page 30 Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges All District Retention Judges Average Sample Size = 4354 A B C D Fail DK/NA Grade 1. Case Management: 1a.Promptly issuing a decision on the case after trial. 48% 20% 8% 4% 2% 18% 3.32 1b.Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. 60% 24% 8% 4% 2% 2% 3.40 1c.Promptly ruling on pre-trial motions. 47% 25% 11% 5% 3% 10% 3.20 1d.Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 50% 28% 11% 5% 3% 3% 3.22 Overall Case Management 3.29 2. Application and Knowledge of Law: 2a.Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 56% 26% 10% 4% 2% 2% 3.32 2b.Basing decisions on evidence and arguments. 52% 24% 12% 6% 3% 3% 3.19 2c.Willing to reconsider error in fact or law. 35% 20% 11% 7% 5% 22% 2.96 2d.Issuing consistent sentences when the circumstances are 41% 27% 11% 5% 3% 13% 3.15 similar. Overall Application and Knowledge of Law 3.16 3. Communications: 3a.Making sure all participants understand the proceedings. 63% 25% 6% 2% 1% 3% 3.51 3b.Providing written communications that are clear, thorough 50% 24% 9% 3% 2% 11% 3.33 and well reasoned. Overall Communications 3.42 4. Demeanor: 4a. Giving proceedings a sense of dignity. 67% 20% 6% 3% 2% 1% 3.50 4b. Treating parties with respect. 65% 20% 7% 4% 3% 1% 3.41 4c. Conducting his/her courtroom in a neutral manner. 59% 20% 9% 6% 4% 2% 3.25 4d. Consistently applying laws and rules. 53% 23% 10% 5% 3% 5% 3.24 Overall Demeanor 3.35 5. Diligence: 5a.Using good judgment in application of relevant law and 52% 25% 11% 6% 3% 2% 3.18 rules. 5b.Doing the necessary homework and being prepared for 57% 23% 9% 4% 2% 4% 3.34 his/her cases. 5c.Being willing to handle cases on the docket even when they 56% 19% 6% 4% 2% 13% 3.41 are complicated and time consuming. Overall Diligence 3.31 Overall Average Grade: 3.29 Note: Respondents rated judges on various questions using an A to F scale, in which the grades were then converted to numerical scores: A= 4, B=3, C=2, D=1 and F=0. An average score of 4.0 is the highest possible score and a 0.0 is the lowest possible score. 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report 27 ## Page 31 Survey of Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average All District Retention Judges Grade Sample Size = 4354 Would you say the judge is: Very biased in favor of the prosecution 11% Somewhat biased in favor of the prosecution 24% Completely neutral 49% Somewhat biased in favor of the defense 9% Very biased in favor of the defense 3% Don't know or not sure 4% 8. How strongly do you recommend that the Judge be retained in office, or not be retained in office? Percentages excluding undecided/don't know responses. Strongly recommend retain 71% Somewhat recommend retain 16% Somewhat recommend not retain 6% Strongly recommend not retain 6% Total Retain 87% Total Not Retain 12% Percentages including undecided/don't know responses. Strongly recommend retain 67% Somewhat recommend retain 16% Undecided or Don't Know 5% Somewhat recommend not retain 6% Strongly recommend not retain 6% Total Retain 83% Undecided/Don't Know 5% Total Not Retain 12% 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report 28 ## Page 32 Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges All District Retention Judges Average Sample Size = 12249 A B C D Fail DK/NA Grade 1. Demeanor: 1a.Giving court proceedings a sense of dignity. 79% 14% 4% 1% 2% 1% 3.68 1b.Treating participants in the case politely and with respect. 81% 12% 3% 2% 2% 1% 3.69 1c.Conducting court in a neutral manner. 79% 12% 4% 2% 3% 1% 3.64 1d.Having a sense of compassion and human understanding 75% 15% 4% 2% 3% 2% 3.59 for those who appear before the court. Overall Demeanor 3.65 2. Fairness: 2a.Giving participants an opportunity to be heard. 79% 13% 3% 2% 2% 1% 3.66 2b.Treating those involved in the case without bias. 77% 12% 3% 2% 4% 2% 3.61 2c.Treating fairly people who represent themselves. 52% 8% 2% 1% 2% 34% 3.63 2d.Giving each side enough time to present his or her case. 77% 12% 3% 2% 2% 4% 3.67 Overall Fairness 3.64 3. Communications: 3a.Making sure participants understand the proceedings, and 79% 13% 3% 1% 1% 1% 3.70 what is going on in the courtroom. 3b.Using language that everyone can understand. 79% 15% 3% 1% 1% 1% 3.71 3c.Speaking clearly so everyone in the courtroom can hear 80% 13% 4% 1% 1% 1% 3.72 what is being said. Overall Communications 3.71 4. Diligence: 4a.Beginning court on time 68% 20% 6% 2% 2% 2% 3.53 4b.Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. 80% 13% 3% 1% 1% 1% 3.72 4c.Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 69% 15% 4% 1% 2% 9% 3.62 4d.Being prepared for cases. 77% 12% 3% 1% 2% 5% 3.69 4e.Managing court proceedings so that there is little wasted 70% 18% 5% 2% 2% 2% 3.56 time. Overall Diligence 3.62 5. Application of Law: 5a.Giving reasons for rulings. 71% 14% 4% 2% 3% 7% 3.59 5b.Willing to make decisions without regard to possible 66% 10% 3% 2% 3% 16% 3.62 outside pressure. 5c.Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 72% 12% 3% 2% 3% 7% 3.60 Overall Application of Law 3.60 Overall Average Grade: 3.64 Note: Respondents rated judges on various questions using an A to F scale, in which the grades were then converted to numerical scores: A= 4, B=3, C=2, D=1 and F=0. An average score of 4.0 is the highest possible score and a 0.0 is the lowest possible score. 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report ## Page 33 Survey of Non-Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Average All District Retention Judges Grade Sample Size = 12249 6. How biased do you think the Judge is toward the defense or prosecution? [Please see the questionnaire at the end of report for question wording.] Biased in favor of the prosecution total 9% Competely neutral 84% Biased in favor of the defense total 7% Average 0.05 7. How lenient or harsh do you think the sentences generally handed down by Judge are? [Please see the questionnaire at the end of report for question wording.] Harsh sentencing total 10% Competely neutral 80% Lenient sentencing total 12% Average 0.04 10. How strongly do you recommend that the Judge be retained or not retained in office? Percentages excluding undecided/don't know responses. Strongly recommend retain 87% Somewhat recommend retain 6% Somewhat recommend not retain 2% Strongly recommend not retain 4% Total Retain 93% Total Not Retain 6% Percentages including undecided/don't know responses. Strongly recommend retain 83% Somewhat recommend retain 6% Undecided or Don't Know 5% Somewhat recommend not retain 2% Strongly recommend not retain 4% Total Retain 89% Undecided/Don't Know 5% Total Not Retain 6% 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report ## Page 34 Survey of Appellate Judges Regarding District Judges All District Retention Judges DK/ Sample Size = 23 A B C D Fail NA All district judges eligible to stand for retention in 2012. 38% 15% 1% 0% 0% 46% Note: Respondents rated judges on various questions using an A to F scale, in which the grades were then converted to numerical scores: A= 4, B=3, C=2, D=1 and F=0. An average score of 4.0 is the highest possible score and a 0.0 is the lowest possible score. 2012 Judicial Performance Survey Report ## Page 35 QQuueessttiioonnnnaaiirreess ## Page 36 Colorado Judicial Performance Attorneys Regarding Trial Judges Survey Questions _ Which of the following types of cases have you observed Judge (Last Name)’s performance? Please circle all that apply. (Only respondents who indicate they have observed the judge in “criminal other than traffic” cases will be asked question 2d and the “bias” question between 5 and 6.) Civil . 1 Criminal other than traffic . 2 Traffic . 3 Domestic . 4 Juvenile . 5 Probate . 6 Other . 9 Using a grade scale, where an "A" is excellent along with B, C, D or F for fail, please grade Judge [Last Name] on the following. If, for a specific question you feel that you do not have enough information to grade the judge, please check DK/NA for Don't Know/Not Applicable. 1. Case Management: a. Promptly issuing a decision on the case after trial. A B C D F DK/NA b. Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. A B C D F DK/NA c. Promptly ruling on pre-trial motions. A B C D F DK/NA d. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. A B C D F DK/NA 2. Application and Knowledge of Law: a. Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. A B C D F DK/NA b. Basing decisions on evidence and arguments. A B C D F DK/NA c. Willing to reconsider error in fact or law. A B C D F DK/NA d. [Criminal only] Issuing consistent sentences when the circumstances are similar. A B C D F DK/NA 3. Communications: a. Makings sure all participants understand the proceedings. A B C D F DK/NA b. Providing written communications that are clear, thorough and well reasoned. A B C D F DK/NA 4. Demeanor: a. Giving proceedings a sense of dignity. A B C D F DK/NA b. Treating participants with respect. A B C D F DK/NA c. Conducting his/her courtroom in a neutral manner. A B C D F DK/NA d. Consistently applying laws and rules. A B C D F DK/NA 1 ## Page 37 5. Diligence: a. Using good judgment in application of relevant law and rules. A B C D F DK/NA b. Doing the necessary “homework” and being prepared for his/her cases. A B C D F DK/NA c. Being willing to handle cases on the docket even when they are complicated and time consuming. A B C D F DK/NA Having observed Judge (Last Name) in a criminal case, would you say the judge is: (This question is asked only if respondent indicated at the beginning of the survey he/she observed the judge in a criminal case.) Very biased in favor of the prosecution . 1 Somewhat biased in favor of the prosecution . 2 Completely Neutral . 3 Somewhat biased in favor of the defense . 4 Very biased in favor of the defense . 5 Don’t Know/Not Sure . 9 6. What would you say are Judge (Last Name)’s strengths? _ _ _ 7. What would you say are Judge (Last Name)’s weaknesses? _ _ _ 8. Keeping in mind your responses to each of the previous questions, how strongly do you recommend that Judge (Last Name) be retained in office, or not be retained in office? Strongly recommend he be retained in office . 5 Somewhat recommend he be retained in office . 4 Undecided or don’t know enough to make recommendation . 3 Somewhat recommend he not be retained in office . 2 Strongly recommend he not be retained in office . 1 2 ## Page 38 9. And what would you say are Judge [Last Name]’s weaknesses? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Commission on Judicial Performance ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Evaluation of 10. Keeping in mind your responses to each of the previous questions, how JUDGE [FULL NAME] strongly do you recommend that Judge [Last Name] be retained in office, or not retained in office? Strongly recommend he/she be retained in office ................................ 5 Somewhat recommend he/she be retained in office ............................ 4 Undecided or don’t know enough to make recommendation ............. 3 If we have made a mistake and you either were not in Judge [Last Somewhat recommend he/she not be retained in office ..................... 2 Name]’s courtroom or you feel that you do not have sufficient Strongly recommend he/she not be retained in office ......................... 1 experience with Judge [Last Name] to have an opinion the judge’s judicial performance, please just return this questionnaire, unanswered, in the enclosed postage-paid envelope, to stop any further requests to evaluate Judge [Last Name]. Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Please place it in the self-addressed, postage-paid envelope provided and place it in the mail. Your participation in this survey is very much appreciated. Using a grade scale, where an “A” is excellent along with B, C, D or F for fail, please grade the judge on the following. (If you feel that you don’t have experience with the judge in a specific area, or just don’t know, please circle the number corresponding to “Don’t Know/Not Applicable”—DK/NA). DK 1. Demeanor: A B C D F N/A a. Giving court proceedings a sense of dignity. 4 3 2 1 0 9 b. Treating participants in the case politely and with respect. 4 3 2 1 0 9 c. Conducting his/her courtroom in a neutral manner. 4 3 2 1 0 9 d. Having a sense of compassion and human understanding for those who appear before him/her. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Barcode ## Page 39 DK 6. [If you were in [Last Name]’s courtroom during a criminal case or 2. Fairness: A B C D F N/A cases please answer this question, otherwise skip to the next a. Giving participants an opportunity to be heard. 4 3 2 1 0 9 question.] On the scale below, please indicate by circling the appropriate b. Treating those involved in the case without bias. 4 3 2 1 0 9 number how biased you think Judge [Last Name] is toward the defense or c. Treating fairly people who represent themselves. 4 3 2 1 0 9 the prosecution. If you feel Judge [Last Name] is completely unbiased, circle “0.” d. Giving each side enough time to present his or her case. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Bias toward Completely Bias toward Defense Neutral Prosecution DK 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 3. Communications: A B C D F N/A a. Makings sure participants understand the 7. [If you were in [Last Name]’s courtroom during a criminal case or proceedings, and what’s going on in the cases please answer this question, otherwise skip to the next courtroom. 4 3 2 1 0 9 question.] On the scale below, please indicate by circling the appropriate b. Using language that everyone can understand. 4 3 2 1 0 9 number how lenient or how harsh you think the sentences generally handed c. Speaking clearly so everyone in the courtroom down by [Last Name] are. If you feel Judge [Last Name] generally hands can hear what’s being said. 4 3 2 1 0 9 down appropriate sentences, circle “0.” DK Sentences Appropriate Sentences 4. Diligence: A B C D F N/A Too Light Sentences Too Harsh a. Beginning court on time. 4 3 2 1 0 9 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 b. Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. 4 3 2 1 0 9 c. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 4 3 2 1 0 9 d. Being prepared for his/her cases. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Though your name will never be associated with your answers, because the judge will e. Managing court proceedings so that there is see a typed transcript of the comments that you and others write, it is important that little wasted time. 4 3 2 1 0 9 you do not include information in the comments below that would unintentionally identify you as the author. 8. What would you say are Judge [Last Name]’s strengths? DK ___________________________________________________________ 5. Application of Law: A B C D F N/A ___________________________________________________________ a. Giving reasons for rulings. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ___________________________________________________________ b. Willing to make decision without regard to ___________________________________________________________ possible outside pressure. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ___________________________________________________________ c. Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ___________________________________________________________ Continued on Back Page ## Page 40 Using a grade scale, where an “A” is excellent along with B, C, D or F for fail, please grade the following district judges in terms of each one’s overall performance as a judge by circling the appropriate letter grade. If you feel that you don’t have enough information about a judge to mark a specific grade, please put a check in the box under “No Grade.” If there are any judges you would like to add a comment about, please do so by filling out comment section on pages 3 and 4, or by enclosing a separate sheet with your comments when you return this questionnaire. Please start each comment with the judge’s name and district. Thank you. 1st Judicial District No Grade 8th Judicial District No Grade Christopher J. Munch .... A B C D F Devin R. Odell ............... A B C D F Christie B. Phillips ......... A B C D F John David Williams...... A B C D F 2nd Judicial District 9th Judicial District Ann Frick ....................... A B C D F James B. Boyd .............. A B C D F Shelley I. Gilman ........... A B C D F Daniel B. Petre .............. A B C D F Christina M. Habas ........ A B C D F 10th Judicial District Morris B. Hoffman ......... A B C D F David W. Crockenberg .. A B C D F Kenneth M. Laff ............. A B C D F Deborah R. Eyler .......... A B C D F Catherine A. Lemon ...... A B C D F 11th Judicial District R. Michael Mullins ......... A B C D F Charles M. Barton ......... A B C D F Karen Ashby .................. A B C D F Julie G. Marshall ........... A B C D F 3rd Judicial District 12th Judicial District Claude W. Appel ........... A B C D F Pattie P. Swift ................ A B C D F 4th Judicial District 13th Judicial District Theresa M. Cisneros ..... A B C D F Michael K. Singer .......... A B C D F Robert L. Lowrey ........... A B C D F Charles M. Hobbs ......... A B C D F Timothy J. Schutz .......... A B C D F 14th Judicial District Larry E. Schwartz .......... A B C D F Michael A. O’Hara, III .... A B C D F Scott Sells ..................... A B C D F 15th Judicial District David L. Shakes ............ A B C D F P. Douglas Tallman....... A B C D F 1 ## Page 41 16th Judicial District No Grade M. Jon Kolomitz ............. A B C D F 17th Judicial District Chris Melonakis ............. A B C D F Edward C. Moss ............ A B C D F 18th Judicial District Marilyn Antrim ............... A B C D F Christopher C. Cross ..... A B C D F J. Mark Hannen ............. A B C D F Kurt A. Horton................ A B C D F Michael Spear ............... A B C D F 19th Judicial District James F. Hartmann, Jr. . A B C D F Elizabeth Strobel ........... A B C D F Todd L. Taylor ............... A B C D F Dinsmore Tuttle ............. A B C D F 20th Judicial District Dolores D. Mallard ........ A B C D F Thomas F. Mulvahill ...... A B C D F 22nd Judicial District Todd J. Plewe................ A B C D F Please use the following pages or attach a sheet for comments you would like to make about any of these district judges. 2 ## Page 42 Though your name will never be associated with your answers, because each district judge will see a typed transcript of the comments people wrote about him or her, it is important that you do not include information in the comments below that would unintentionally identify you as the author. Judge Name Comments _:_ _ _ _ _ _ _:_ _ _ _ _ _ _:_ _ _ _ _ _ _:_ _ _ _ _ _ 3 ## Page 43 Though your name will never be associated with your answers, because each district judge will see a typed transcript of the comments people wrote about him or her, it is important that you do not include information in the comments below that would unintentionally identify you as the author. Judge Name Comments _:_ _ _ _ _ _ _:_ _ _ _ _ _ _:_ _ _ _ _ _ _:_ _ _ _ _ _ Barcode Goes Here 4
- 2006 cycle
- 2006 Retention Survey Report(PDF on OJPE)
Read full retention survey textexpand
## Page 1 State of Colorado Logo COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE TThhee HHoonnoorraabbllee CChhrriiss MMeelloonnaakkiiss 2006 Judicial Performance Survey 17th Judicial District ## Page 2 April 26, 2006 The Honorable Chris Melonakis Adams County Justice Center 1100 Judicial Center Dr. Brighton, CO 80601 Dear Judge Melonakis: Every two years the Colorado Judicial Performance Commission conducts a survey of people who have been in the courtroom of judges who face a retention vote in the next general election. The 2006 survey was conducted by Talmey-Drake Research & Strategy, Inc., who attempted to contact over 75,000 people who had been in these courtrooms in one capacity or another. Over 21,000 people responded—4,600 to the attorney survey and 17,000 to the non-attorney survey. This report contains the results of those who were in your courtroom and who responded to the survey. In addition to this introduction, the report is divided into four main sections: · Attorney Results & Comments: This section contains graphs displaying the average grade you received overall (the combined average from questions 1a through 5e), each section and each question. Following the graphs, are a series of tables showing the percentage distribution of responses to each question. Attorney respondents were also asked to comment about your performance. These comments have been transcribed, and in some instances redacted to eliminate respondent identifying information. A copy of the attorney questionnaire is at the back of this report. · Non-attorney Results & Comments: Similar to the Attorney section, this portion of the report contains graphs (again including the overall average of questions 1a through 5c on the non-attorney questionnaire), the percentage distribution of responses by non-attorneys to each substantive question in the survey. The non-attorney respondents were also asked to comment about your performance. Again, these comments have been transcribed, and in some instances redacted to eliminate respondent identifying information. A copy of the non-attorney questionnaire is also at the back of this report. · Methodology: The third section of the report discusses the methodology of the survey. · Questionnaires: And the final section provides copies of the questionnaires that were used. 100 Arap ahoe, Suite One, Boulder, CO 80302 Phone 303.443.5300 Fax 303.447.9386 ## Page 3 April, 26 2006 The Honorable Chris Melonakis Page 2 If you have any questions about the methodology and how the survey was conducted, please feel free to contact me at 303-443-5300, and for any other questions you might have about the survey please call the Director of the Colorado Judicial Performance Program, Jane Howell, at 303-837-3665. Best regards, Paul A. Talmey President enc: ## Page 4 AAttttoorrnneeyy SSuurrvveeyy ## Page 5 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey Average Grades: Overall and by Section 3.5 Overall Average 3.4 3.4 3.8 Q1. Overall Case 3.4 Management 3.4 3.6 Q2. Overall App & 3.4 Knowldge of Law 3.3 3.5 Q3. Overall 3.6 Communications 3.6 3.0 Q4. Overall Demeanor 3.5 3.5 3.7 Q5. Overall Diligence 3.4 3.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Average Grade Chris Melonakis District Judges All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 1 ## Page 6 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey Average Grades: Case Management 3.8 Q1. Overall Case Management 3.4 3.4 4.0 1a. Promptly making rulings 3.6 during trial 3.6 3.9 1b. Beginning court on time 3.5 3.4 3.6 1c. Allotting appropriate 3.3 amount of time for cases 3.3 3.8 1d. Keeping cases moving 3.3 according to schedule 3.3 3.4 1e. [Civil only] Assisting 3.1 parties to reach agreement 3.2 3.9 1f. Maintaining appropriate 3.5 control over proceedings 3.5 3.9 1g. Promptly ruling on pre-trial 3.3 motions 3.3 4.0 1h. Promptly issuing a 3.4 decision on the case after trial 3.5 3.5 1i. Setting reasonable 3.3 schedules for cases 3.3 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Average Grade Chris Melonakis District Judges All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 2 ## Page 7 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey Average Grades: Application and Knowledge of Law 3.7 Q2. Overall App & Knowldge of 3.4 Law 3.3 3.4 2a. Basing decisions on 3.3 evidence and arguments 3.3 3.7 2b. Giving reasons for rulings 3.4 3.4 3.6 2c. [Civil only] Issuing written 3.3 findings of fact and law 3.2 2.7 2d. Willing to reconsider error 3.0 in fact or law 3.0 3.9 2e. Having knowledge of 3.3 relevant substantive law 3.3 4.0 2f. Having knowledge of rules 3.5 of procedure and evidence 3.4 3.7 2g. Being able to identify and 3.4 analyze relevant facts 3.4 2h. [Criminal only] Issuing 3.3 consistent sentences when 3.3 the circumstances are similar 3.3 2i. Willing to make decision 4.0 without regard to possible 3.4 criticism 3.4 4.0 2j. Making decisions without 3.5 fear of being appealed 3.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis Average Grade District Judges All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 3 ## Page 8 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey Average Grades: Communications 3.5 Q3. Overall Communications 3.6 3.6 3.6 3a. Speaking clearly 3.7 3.6 3.4 3b. Making sure all participants understand the 3.6 proceedings 3.6 3.7 3c. Using understandable 3.7 language 3.7 4.0 3d. Providing written communications that are 3.4 clear, thorough and well reasoned 3.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis District Judges Average Grade All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 4 ## Page 9 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey Average Grades: Demeanor 3.0 Q4. Overall Demeanor 3.5 3.5 3.4 4a. Giving proceedings a 3.6 sense of dignity 3.6 2.4 4b. Treating everyone 3.5 involved politely 3.5 2.8 4c. Having empathy with the 3.3 parties involved 3.3 2.5 4d. Treating participants with 3.5 respect 3.5 2.8 4e. Presenting a neutral 3.4 presence on the bench 3.4 3.1 4f. Being consistent in 3.5 [his/her] behavior 3.5 4g. Conducting [his/her] 3.0 courtroom in a neutral 3.4 manner 3.4 3.1 4h. Giving all participants an 3.6 opportunity to be heard 3.5 3.5 4i. Consistently applying laws 3.4 and rules 3.4 3.4 4j. Not engaging in ex parte 3.7 communications 3.6 3.6 4k. Treating pro se parties 3.6 fairly 3.6 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis District Judges Average Grade All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 5 ## Page 10 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey Average Grades: Diligence 3.7 Q5. Overall Diligence 3.4 3.4 3.9 5a. Making tough decisions 3.4 when necessary 3.4 3.7 5b. Using good judgment in application of relevant law and 3.3 rules 3.3 3.9 5c. Doing the necessary 'homework' and being 3.4 prepared for [his/her] cases 3.4 3.6 5d. Being willing to handle cases on the docket even 3.5 when they are complicated and time consuming 3.5 3.6 5e. Providing prompt access to the court in emergency 3.5 matters 3.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis District Judges Average Grade All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 6 ## Page 11 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey Q6. Average: How biased do you think Judge Melonakis is toward the defense or prosecution? Chris 1.4 Melonakis District Judges 0.8 All Trial Judges 0.8 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 ç Defense Prosecution è Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 7 ## Page 12 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey Q7. Average: How lenient or how harsh are Judge Melonakis's sentences? Chris 1.2 Melonakis District Judges 0.5 All Trial Judges 0.5 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 ç Lenient Harsh è Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 8 ## Page 13 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey Retention Recommendation 90% 80% 78% 77% 76% 76% 75% 74% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 16% 16% 14% 13%13% 13% 10% 5%5% 5%5% 4% 4%4%4% 4%4% 4% 4%4%4% 0% Str o n gl y n ot r et ai n m e w h at n ot r et ai n U n d e ci d e d S o m e w h at r et ai n Str o n gl y r et ai n Str o n gl y n ot r et ai n m e w h at n ot r et ai n S o m e w h at r et ai n Str o n gl y r et ai n o o S S Judge Melonakis Including Undecided D is tr i c t J u d g e s Excluding Undecided All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 9 ## Page 14 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 1a. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Promptly making rulings during trial?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 96% 59% 56% B 4% 20% 21% C 5% 5% D 1% 1% Fail 1% 1% No Grade 14% 17% Average 4.0 3.6 3.6 Letter Grade A B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 1 ## Page 15 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 1b. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Beginning court on time?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 88% 61% 56% B 12% 26% 28% C 7% 9% D 2% 3% Fail 1% 2% No Grade 3% 2% Average 3.9 3.5 3.4 Letter Grade A- B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 2 ## Page 16 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 1c. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Allotting appropriate amount of time for cases?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 77% 51% 51% B 15% 28% 29% C 4% 12% 11% D 4% 3% Fail 4% 2% 2% No Grade 4% 4% Average 3.6 3.3 3.3 Letter Grade B+ B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 3 ## Page 17 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 1d. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Keeping cases moving according to schedule?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 85% 51% 53% B 12% 30% 31% C 4% 9% 9% D 3% 3% Fail 2% 2% No Grade 4% 3% Average 3.8 3.3 3.3 Letter Grade A- B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 4 ## Page 18 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 1e. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "[Civil only] Assisting parties to reach agreement?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 59% 27% 27% B 12% 20% 18% C 9% 7% D 6% 3% 2% Fail 6% 2% 1% No Grade 18% 40% 43% Average 3.4 3.1 3.2 Letter Grade B+ B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 5 ## Page 19 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 1f. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 88% 65% 63% B 12% 23% 25% C 7% 7% D 3% 2% Fail 1% 1% No Grade 2% 2% Average 3.9 3.5 3.5 Letter Grade A- B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 6 ## Page 20 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 1g. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Promptly ruling on pre-trial motions?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 92% 46% 44% B 4% 26% 25% C 4% 10% 8% D 3% 2% Fail 2% 1% No Grade 13% 19% Average 3.9 3.3 3.3 Letter Grade A- B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 7 ## Page 21 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 1h. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Promptly issuing a decision on the case after trial?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 88% 48% 48% B 4% 21% 21% C 6% 5% D 2% 2% Fail 1% 1% No Grade 8% 21% 24% Average 4.0 3.4 3.5 Letter Grade A B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 8 ## Page 22 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 1i. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Setting reasonable schedules for cases?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 73% 49% 50% B 12% 30% 30% C 8% 11% 9% D 4% 4% 3% Fail 4% 2% 1% No Grade 5% 6% Average 3.5 3.3 3.3 Letter Grade B+ B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 9 ## Page 23 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 2a. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Basing decisions on evidence and arguments?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 69% 56% 53% B 12% 25% 27% C 12% 9% 9% D 4% 4% 4% Fail 4% 2% 3% No Grade 3% 4% Average 3.4 3.3 3.3 Letter Grade B+ B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 10 ## Page 24 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 2b. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Giving reasons for rulings?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 88% 60% 57% B 4% 24% 25% C 4% 8% 9% D 3% 4% Fail 4% 1% 2% No Grade 3% 4% Average 3.7 3.4 3.4 Letter Grade A- B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 11 ## Page 25 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 2c. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "[Civil only] Issuing written findings of fact and law?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 59% 37% 28% B 6% 17% 15% C 6% 6% D 3% 2% Fail 6% 1% 2% No Grade 29% 35% 48% Average 3.6 3.3 3.2 Letter Grade B+ B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 12 ## Page 26 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 2d. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Willing to reconsider error in fact or law?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 31% 28% 29% B 19% 21% 20% C 19% 10% 9% D 8% 5% 4% Fail 8% 4% 4% No Grade 15% 33% 33% Average 2.7 3.0 3.0 Letter Grade B- B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 13 ## Page 27 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 2e. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Having knowledge of relevant substantive law?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 96% 55% 52% B 28% 30% C 4% 10% 9% D 4% 4% Fail 2% 2% No Grade 2% 3% Average 3.9 3.3 3.3 Letter Grade A- B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 14 ## Page 28 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 2f. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Having knowledge of rules of procedure and evidence?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 100% 61% 58% B 26% 27% C 7% 8% D 2% 3% Fail 1% 2% No Grade 2% 3% Average 4.0 3.5 3.4 Letter Grade A B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 15 ## Page 29 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 2g. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 85% 61% 57% B 4% 23% 27% C 8% 8% 8% D 4% 3% Fail 4% 2% 2% No Grade 3% 3% Average 3.7 3.4 3.4 Letter Grade A- B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 16 ## Page 30 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 2h. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "[Criminal only] Issuing consistent sentences when the circumstances are similar?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 44% 26% 33% B 17% 16% 20% C 6% 6% 6% D 2% 2% Fail 6% 1% 2% No Grade 28% 49% 37% Average 3.3 3.3 3.3 Letter Grade B B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 17 ## Page 31 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 2i. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Willing to make decision without regard to possible criticism?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 96% 55% 53% B 21% 22% C 8% 8% D 3% 3% Fail 2% 2% No Grade 4% 12% 12% Average 4.0 3.4 3.4 Letter Grade A B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 18 ## Page 32 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 2j. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Making decisions without fear of being appealed?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 96% 57% 54% B 20% 22% C 6% 7% D 2% 2% Fail 1% 2% No Grade 4% 13% 14% Average 4.0 3.5 3.4 Letter Grade A B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 19 ## Page 33 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 3a. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Speaking clearly?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 81% 75% 73% B 4% 19% 20% C 12% 4% 4% D 1% 1% Fail 4% 1% No Grade 1% 1% Average 3.6 3.7 3.6 Letter Grade B+ A- B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 20 ## Page 34 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 3b. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Making sure all participants understand the proceedings?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 69% 72% 71% B 19% 20% 20% C 5% 5% D 4% 2% 2% Fail 8% 1% 1% No Grade 2% 1% Average 3.4 3.6 3.6 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 21 ## Page 35 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 3c. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Using understandable language?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 77% 75% 74% B 19% 20% 20% C 3% 4% D 1% 1% Fail 4% No Grade 1% 1% Average 3.7 3.7 3.7 Letter Grade A- A- A- Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 22 ## Page 36 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 3d. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Providing written communications that are clear, thorough and well reasoned?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 63% 55% 55% B 23% 23% C 6% 6% D 3% 3% Fail 1% 1% No Grade 38% 12% 12% Average 4.0 3.4 3.4 Letter Grade A B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 23 ## Page 37 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 4a. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Giving proceedings a sense of dignity?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 65% 73% 69% B 15% 18% 20% C 15% 5% 6% D 2% 2% Fail 4% 1% 2% No Grade 1% 1% Average 3.4 3.6 3.6 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 24 ## Page 38 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 4b. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Treating everyone involved politely?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 23% 72% 70% B 38% 16% 17% C 15% 5% 6% D 4% 3% 3% Fail 19% 2% 3% No Grade 1% 1% Average 2.4 3.5 3.5 Letter Grade C+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 25 ## Page 39 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 4c. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Having empathy with the parties involved?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 46% 59% 59% B 23% 20% 22% C 12% 10% 9% D 8% 5% 5% Fail 12% 2% 3% No Grade 4% 3% Average 2.8 3.3 3.3 Letter Grade B- B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 26 ## Page 40 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 4d. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Treating participants with respect?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 35% 71% 69% B 27% 16% 18% C 15% 6% 6% D 4% 3% 3% Fail 19% 2% 3% No Grade 1% 1% Average 2.5 3.5 3.5 Letter Grade C+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 27 ## Page 41 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 4e. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Presenting a neutral presence on the bench?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 38% 66% 63% B 35% 18% 19% C 8% 7% 8% D 4% 5% 5% Fail 15% 3% 4% No Grade 1% 1% Average 2.8 3.4 3.4 Letter Grade B- B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 28 ## Page 42 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 4f. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Being consistent in [his/her] behavior?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 54% 67% 64% B 23% 20% 21% C 12% 6% 7% D 4% 3% 3% Fail 8% 2% 2% No Grade 3% 2% Average 3.1 3.5 3.5 Letter Grade B B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 29 ## Page 43 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 4g. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Conducting [his/her] courtroom in a neutral manner?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 50% 65% 63% B 27% 18% 19% C 4% 8% 8% D 8% 4% 4% Fail 12% 3% 3% No Grade 2% 1% Average 3.0 3.4 3.4 Letter Grade B B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 30 ## Page 44 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 4h. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Giving all participants an opportunity to be heard?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 50% 71% 69% B 31% 18% 19% C 4% 6% 6% D 8% 3% 2% Fail 8% 1% 2% No Grade 1% 1% Average 3.1 3.6 3.5 Letter Grade B B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 31 ## Page 45 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 4i. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Consistently applying laws and rules?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 65% 61% 59% B 23% 21% 23% C 8% 8% 8% D 4% 4% Fail 4% 2% 2% No Grade 5% 4% Average 3.5 3.4 3.4 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 32 ## Page 46 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 4j. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Not engaging in ex parte communications?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 58% 66% 63% B 15% 13% 15% C 4% 3% 3% D 4% 1% 1% Fail 4% 1% 1% No Grade 15% 16% 16% Average 3.4 3.7 3.6 Letter Grade B+ A- B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 33 ## Page 47 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 4k. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Treating pro se parties fairly?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 73% 48% 52% B 12% 11% 13% C 4% 3% 4% D 1% 2% Fail 4% 1% 1% No Grade 8% 36% 28% Average 3.6 3.6 3.6 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 34 ## Page 48 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 5a. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Making tough decisions when necessary?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 88% 57% 52% B 12% 21% 23% C 8% 8% D 3% 3% Fail 2% 2% No Grade 10% 12% Average 3.9 3.4 3.4 Letter Grade A- B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 35 ## Page 49 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 5b. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Using good judgment in application of relevant law and rules?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 77% 55% 53% B 19% 26% 27% C 9% 9% D 4% 4% Fail 4% 3% 3% No Grade 3% 4% Average 3.7 3.3 3.3 Letter Grade A- B B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 36 ## Page 50 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 5c. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Doing the necessary 'homework' and being prepared for [his/her] cases?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 88% 59% 53% B 12% 23% 26% C 8% 9% D 3% 3% Fail 1% 2% No Grade 5% 7% Average 3.9 3.4 3.4 Letter Grade A- B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 37 ## Page 51 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 5d. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Being willing to handle cases on the docket even when they are complicated and time consuming?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 85% 58% 53% B 8% 19% 21% C 7% 7% D 2% 2% Fail 8% 1% 1% No Grade 13% 15% Average 3.6 3.5 3.5 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 38 ## Page 52 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 5e. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Providing prompt access to the court in emergency matters?" Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 62% 43% 41% B 19% 16% 16% C 8% 5% 5% D 2% 1% Fail 1% 1% No Grade 12% 33% 36% Average 3.6 3.5 3.5 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 39 ## Page 53 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 6. How biased do you think Judge Melonakis is towards the defense or the prosecution? Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 5 8% 3% 3% 4 5% 5% 3 15% 8% 7% 2 8% 11% 11% 1 38% 17% 18% 31% 46% 47% -1 5% 4% -2 3% 2% -3 2% 2% -4 1% 1% -5 Average 1.4 0.8 0.8 noitucesorP drawoT esnefeD drawoT Ý 0 Neutral ß Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 40 ## Page 54 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 7. How lenient or harsh do you think the sentences handed down by Judge Melonakis are? Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 5 8% 2% 2% 4 4% 4% 3 8% 6% 5% 2 23% 9% 9% 1 15% 16% 15% 46% 48% 55% -1 6% 3% -2 4% 3% -3 3% 2% -4 1% 1% -5 1% 1% Average 1.2 0.5 0.5 hsraH thgiL Ý 0 Appropriate ß Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 41 ## Page 55 Chris Melonakis Attorney Survey 12. Do you recommend that Judge Melonakis be retained in office or not be retained in office? Judge District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 Strongly Recommend 76% 78% 77% Retain in office Somewhat Recommend 16% 13% 14% Retain in office Somewhat Recommend Not 4% 4% 4% Retain in office Strongly Recommend Not Retain in office 4% 5% 5% Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 42 ## Page 56 NNoonn AAttttoorrnneeyy SSuurrvveeyy ## Page 57 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey Average Grades: Overall and by Section 3.3 Overall Average 3.6 3.5 3.2 Q1. Overall Demeanor 3.6 3.5 3.2 Q2. Overall Fairness 3.6 3.5 3.4 Q3. Overall 3.7 Communications 3.6 3.5 Q4. Overall Diligence 3.5 3.5 3.4 Q5. Overall Application 3.5 of Law 3.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Average Grade Chris Melonakis District Judges All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 1 ## Page 58 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey Average Grades: Demeanor 3.2 Q1. Overall Demeanor 3.6 3.5 3.3 1a. Giving court proceedings a 3.6 sense of dignity 3.5 3.1 1b. Treating participants 3.6 politely and with respect 3.5 3.2 1c. Conducting [his/her] courtroom in a neutral 3.6 manner 3.5 3.1 1d. Having a sense of compassion and human 3.5 understanding for those who appear before the judge 3.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis District Judges Average Grade All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 2 ## Page 59 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey Average Grades: Fairness 3.2 Q2. Overall Fairness 3.6 3.5 3.2 2a. Giving participants an 3.6 opportunity to be heard 3.5 3.2 2b. Treating those involved 3.6 with the case without bias 3.5 3.3 2c. Treating fairly people who 3.6 represent themselves 3.4 3.3 2d. Giving each side enough time to present his or her 3.6 case 3.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis Average Grade District Judges All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 3 ## Page 60 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey Average Grades: Communications 3.4 Q3. Overall Communications 3.7 3.6 3.5 3a. Making sure all participants understand the 3.7 proceedings, and what's going on in the courtroom 3.6 3.3 3b. Using language that 3.7 everyone can understand 3.6 3.4 3c. Speaking clearly so everyone in the courtroom 3.7 can hear what's being said 3.6 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis Average Grade District Judges All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 4 ## Page 61 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey Average Grades: Diligence 3.5 Q4. Overall Diligence 3.5 3.5 3.4 4a. Beginning court on time 3.4 3.3 3.5 4b. Maintaining appropriate 3.7 control over proceedings 3.6 3.5 4c. Setting reasonable 3.5 schedules for cases 3.5 3.5 4d. Being prepared for 3.6 [his/her] cases 3.6 3.5 4e. Managing court proceedings so that there is 3.5 little wasted time 3.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis District Judges Average Grade All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 5 ## Page 62 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey Average Grades: Application and Knowledge of Law 3.4 Q5. Overall App of Law 3.5 3.4 3.4 5a. Giving reasons for rulings 3.5 3.4 3.5 5b. Willing to make decision without regard to possible 3.6 outside pressure 3.5 3.4 5c. Being able to identify and 3.6 analyze relevant facts 3.4 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Chris Melonakis District Judges Average Grade All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 6 ## Page 63 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey Average: How biased do you think Judge Melonakis is toward the defense or prosecution? Chris 0 Melonakis District Judges 0.1 All Trial Judges 0.1 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 ç Defense Prosecution è Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 7 ## Page 64 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey Average: How lenient or how harsh are Judge Melonakis's sentences? Chris 0.3 Melonakis District Judges 0.1 All Trial Judges 0.1 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 ç Lenient Harsh è Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 8 ## Page 65 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey Retention Recommendation 100% 90% 86% 82% 81% 80% 75% 73% 70% 68% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 15% 14% 12% 11% 9% 10% 8% 8% 7% 6% 6%6% 6% 6% 5% 5% 3% 3% 2% 2% 0% Str o n gl y n ot r et ai n m e w h at n ot r et ai n U n d e ci d e d S o m e w h at r et ai n Str o n gl y r et ai n Str o n gl y n ot r et ai n m e w h at n ot r et ai n S o m e w h at r et ai n Str o n gl y r et ai n o o S Judge Melonakis S District Judges Including Undecided Excluding Undecided All Trial Judges Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 9 ## Page 66 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 1a. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Giving proceedings a sense of dignity?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 62% 76% 69% B 21% 16% 20% C 7% 4% 6% D 3% 1% 2% Fail 6% 2% 2% No Grade 1% 1% Average 3.3 3.6 3.5 Letter Grade B B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 1 ## Page 67 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 1b. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Treating participants politely and with respect?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 57% 78% 72% B 22% 14% 17% C 5% 4% 5% D 5% 2% 2% Fail 10% 2% 3% No Grade 1% 1% Average 3.1 3.6 3.5 Letter Grade B B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 2 ## Page 68 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 1c. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Conducting [his/her] courtroom in a neutral manner?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 63% 76% 70% B 18% 14% 17% C 7% 4% 5% D 1% 2% 3% Fail 11% 3% 3% No Grade 1% 1% Average 3.2 3.6 3.5 Letter Grade B B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 3 ## Page 69 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 1d. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Having a sense of compassion and human understanding for those who appear before the Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 62% 71% 66% B 17% 16% 18% C 4% 4% 6% D 5% 2% 3% Fail 12% 4% 5% No Grade 2% 2% Average 3.1 3.5 3.4 Letter Grade B B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 4 ## Page 70 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 2a. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Giving participants an opportunity to be heard?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 58% 77% 71% B 21% 13% 16% C 8% 4% 5% D 3% 2% 3% Fail 8% 3% 3% No Grade 1% 2% 2% Average 3.2 3.6 3.5 Letter Grade B B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 5 ## Page 71 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 2b. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Treating those involved in the case without bias?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 63% 75% 69% B 18% 13% 16% C 3% 3% 5% D 5% 2% 3% Fail 9% 4% 4% No Grade 1% 2% 3% Average 3.2 3.6 3.5 Letter Grade B B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 6 ## Page 72 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 2c. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Treating fairly people who represent themselves?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 51% 47% 49% B 11% 8% 11% C 4% 2% 4% D 3% 1% 2% Fail 5% 3% 4% No Grade 26% 38% 30% Average 3.3 3.6 3.4 Letter Grade B B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 7 ## Page 73 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 2d. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Giving each side enough time to present his or her case?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 58% 75% 68% B 27% 13% 16% C 5% 4% 5% D 1% 2% 2% Fail 7% 3% 3% No Grade 2% 4% 5% Average 3.3 3.6 3.5 Letter Grade B B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 8 ## Page 74 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 3a. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Making sure participants understand the proceedings, and what's going on in the Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 66% 77% 73% B 22% 14% 16% C 4% 4% 5% D 1% 2% 2% Fail 5% 1% 2% No Grade 1% 1% 1% Average 3.5 3.7 3.6 Letter Grade B+ A- B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 9 ## Page 75 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 3b. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Using language that everyone can understand?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 62% 78% 74% B 20% 14% 18% C 6% 4% 5% D 4% 1% 2% Fail 5% 1% 1% No Grade 2% 1% 1% Average 3.3 3.7 3.6 Letter Grade B A- B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 10 ## Page 76 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 3c. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Speaking clearly so everyone in the courtroom can hear what's being said?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 64% 79% 75% B 26% 14% 16% C 3% 4% 5% D 3% 1% 1% Fail 4% 1% 1% No Grade 1% 1% Average 3.4 3.7 3.6 Letter Grade B+ A- B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 11 ## Page 77 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 4a. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Beginning court on time?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 61% 59% 55% B 24% 26% 26% C 5% 9% 10% D 6% 3% 3% Fail 2% 2% 3% No Grade 2% 2% 3% Average 3.4 3.4 3.3 Letter Grade B+ B+ B Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 12 ## Page 78 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 4b. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 73% 78% 72% B 16% 16% 18% C 5% 4% 5% D 1% 1% 2% Fail 4% 1% 1% No Grade 1% 2% Average 3.5 3.7 3.6 Letter Grade B+ A- B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 13 ## Page 79 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 4c. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Setting reasonable schedules for cases?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 63% 62% 58% B 22% 18% 19% C 9% 6% 6% D 1% 2% 2% Fail 1% 2% 2% No Grade 4% 11% 12% Average 3.5 3.5 3.5 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 14 ## Page 80 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 4d. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Being prepared for [his/her] cases?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 75% 73% 67% B 13% 14% 17% C 2% 4% 5% D 6% 1% 2% Fail 2% 2% 2% No Grade 2% 6% 7% Average 3.5 3.6 3.6 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 15 ## Page 81 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 4e. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Managing court proceedings so that there is little wasted time?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 69% 63% 61% B 18% 23% 23% C 6% 7% 8% D 1% 2% 3% Fail 4% 2% 3% No Grade 2% 3% 3% Average 3.5 3.5 3.4 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 16 ## Page 82 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 5a. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Giving reasons for rulings?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 60% 67% 62% B 29% 16% 18% C 1% 5% 6% D 3% 2% 3% Fail 5% 3% 4% No Grade 1% 7% 7% Average 3.4 3.5 3.4 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 17 ## Page 83 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 5b. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Willing to make decision without regard to possible outside pressure?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 67% 63% 58% B 16% 12% 14% C 4% 4% 5% D 2% 2% 2% Fail 4% 3% 3% No Grade 7% 17% 17% Average 3.5 3.6 3.5 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 18 ## Page 84 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 5c. How would you grade Judge Melonakis on "Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts?" Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 A 71% 69% 64% B 10% 14% 16% C 6% 4% 5% D 1% 2% 3% Fail 7% 3% 4% No Grade 4% 8% 8% Average 3.4 3.6 3.4 Letter Grade B+ B+ B+ Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 19 ## Page 85 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 6. How biased do you think Judge Melonakis is towards the defense or the prosecution? Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 5 3% 2% 2% 4 1% 1% 1% 3 1% 1% 2% 2 3% 2% 3% 1 8% 4% 5% 71% 83% 78% -1 3% 3% 3% -2 1% 1% 2% -3 5% 1% 1% -4 1% 1% 1% -5 3% 1% 2% Average 0.1 0.1 noitucesorP drawoT esnefeD drawoT Ý 0 Neutral ß Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 20 ## Page 86 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 7. How lenient or harsh do you think the sentences handed down by Judge Melonakis are? Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 5 6% 3% 3% 4 1% 2% 2% 3 2% 2% 2 4% 2% 3% 1 6% 3% 4% 71% 75% 71% -1 6% 5% 5% -2 4% 4% 4% -3 1% 2% 2% -4 1% 1% -5 1% 2% Average 0.3 0.1 0.1 hsraH thgiL Ý 0 Appropriate ß Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 21 ## Page 87 Chris Melonakis Non Attorney Survey 12. Do you recommend that Judge Melonakis be retained in office or not be retained in office? Judge All District All Trial Melonakis Judges 2006 Judges 2006 Strongly Recommend 73% 86% 82% Retain in office Somewhat Recommend 12% 7% 9% Retain in office Somewhat Recommend Not 2% 3% Retain in office Strongly Recommend Not Retain in office 15% 5% 6% Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 22 ## Page 88 MMeetthhooddoollooggyy ## Page 89 MMeetthhooddoollooggyy Sample: The Colorado Judicial Department provided Talmey-Drake Research & Strategy, Inc. with all the names and addresses of people from its ICON data base who in the previous 12 months had likely been in each judge’s courtroom who was up for retention in November 2006. These names and addresses where then supplemented from the Colorado District Attorney’s database (Blackstone system) and the databases of jurors, court employees and sheriff’s security. The data was then combined and cleaned. Where there were more than 400 potential respondents, a random sample was drawn. Included in the data cleaning was the identification of potential respondents in the sample who had appeared in more than two judges’ courtrooms. Due to concerns about respondent fatigue, no more than two questionnaires were intended to be sent to any one respondent—though there were a few instances where one respondent did receive more than two questionnaires. Where a person had been in more than two judges’ courtrooms, the selection criteria for which judges he or she would be sent questionnaires was generally: first, for the judge in whose courtroom the potential respondent had been in most often, and two, the judge with the smallest sample of the judges in whose courtroom the potential respondent had been in. Survey: Starting in October 2005, each person in the sample database was mailed an initial questionnaire and an introductory letter with a postage-paid return envelope. Those who did not respond to the first questionnaire were then sent a sent a second questionnaire and letter, and in some cases reminder postcards. During this process, the sample was augmented for judges with a particularly low number of completed questionnaires. Questionnaire: The questionnaire used in the 2006 Judicial Performance Survey asked respondents to use a grade of A, B, C, D, or F (Fail) to assess the judge’s performance in five different areas. For attorney these areas were Case Management, Application and Knowledge of Law, Communications, Demeanor and Diligence, and for non-attorney respondents the five were Demeanor, Fairness, Communications, Diligence and Application of Law. These scores were then converted to a numerical value where A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1 and Fail = 0. Copies of the questionnaires are included at the end of this report. Response: The response rate is calculated as the number of completed questionnaires divided by the number of eligible respondents who actually received a questionnaire. The following table shows the total number of questionnaires mailed, completed, non-responses & refusals, undeliverables and other responses. The table presents the overall response rate as well as the response rate by the different types of respondents. 1 ## Page 90 Refused/ Nonre- Unde- Response Attorney Respondents Total Sent Completed sponse livered Other Rate District Attorney 684 402 223 56 3 64.3% Attorney For Defendant 5,159 2,760 1895 490 14 59.3% Attorney for Plaintiff 1,925 1,023 689 206 7 59.8% Unknown Attorney Type 963 436 418 107 2 51.1% Attorney Total 8,731 4,621 3225 859 26 58.7% Refused/ Nonre- Unde- Response Non-Attny Respondents Total Sent Completed sponse livered Other Rate Law Enforcement 5,659 1,161 3,276 1,195 27 26.2% Employee 1,307 600 489 205 13 55.1% Defendant 31,391 3,658 17,494 10,124 115 17.3% Plaintiff 7,688 1,449 4,699 1,506 34 23.6% Juror 16,267 9,482 5,961 795 29 61.4% Other 4,061 401 2,342 1,281 37 14.6% Parole Officers 599 323 136 125 15 70.4% Non-attorney Total 66,972 17,074 34,397 15,231 270 33.0% Total 75,703 21,695 37,622 16,090 296 36.4% A similar table showing the response count and cooperation rate for your survey is provided at the end of this methodology section. Results: The results of the Survey are in two main sections: Attorney Respondents and Non-attorney Respondents. Within each main section are three subsections: graphs displaying average grades for each section and question, the percentage distribution of grades, and respondent comments. Graphs: The graphs visually display the overall average numerical grades received for all grade questions, each section and each question compared to averages for all district or county judges, and all trial judges for which 2006 surveys were conducted. Questions relating to bias toward the defense or prosecution, sentencing and retention recommendation are also graphed. 2 ## Page 91 Percentage Distribution of Grades: This section shows the percentage of each grade received on each question plus the bias, sentencing and retention questions. An average grade point for each graded question is computed and shown in the results section. A letter grade is also assigned to each grade point according to the following scale. A = 4.00 B = 3.00 to 3.33 C = 2.00 to 2.33 D = 1.00 to 1.33 A— = 3.68 to 3.99 B— = 2.67 to 2.99 C— = 1.67 to 1.99 D— = 0.67 to 0.99 B+ = 3.34 to 3.66 C+ = 2.34 to 2.66 D+ = 1.34 to 1.66 Fail = 0.00 to 0.67 This section also includes two comparative columns of results: one comparative column shows the results for that question for all county or district judges (as appropriate) surveyed in 2006, along with a second comparative column showing the results for all trial judges in the 2006 survey. Comments: Each respondent was encouraged to comment on the judge’s performance. This section contains those comments. Sampling All sample surveys are subject to what is known as sampling error—the Error: extent to which the results of the sample survey may differ from what would be obtained if the entire population being surveyed had been interviewed. The size of the sampling error is almost entirely due to the number of people interviewed for the survey and the variance of responses. The table below shows the extent of sampling error (95%-confidence interval) for various sizes of random samples and sample percentage results. Sample Size 25 50 100 150 200 300 Percentages near 10% or 90% ± 11.8% ± 8.3% ± 5.9% ± 4.8% ± 4.2% ± 3.4% Percentages near 20% or 80% ± 15.7% ± 11.1% ± 7.8% ± 6.4% ± 5.5% ± 4.5% Percentages near 30% or 70% ± 18.0% ± 12.7% ± 9.0% ± 7.3% ± 6.4% ± 5.2% Percentages near 40% or 60% ± 19.2% ± 13.6% ± 9.6% ± 7.8% ± 6.8% ± 5.5% Percentages near 50% ± 19.6% ± 13.9% ± 9.8% ± 8.0% ± 6.9% ± 5.7% For example, suppose a reported percentage is 80% in a sample size of 150, then one could expect that 95% of the time that a random sample of the same size and collected the same way would include the true population percentage within the range of 80% plus or minus 6.4%. Averages such as grade points also have a 95% confidence interval, however it is not so easily displayed in a table as confidence intervals about a percentage. Suffice it to say that the confidence interval about a score generally increases with smaller sample size. 3 ## Page 92 Chris Melonakis Responses by Type Total Other Non- Coop Role Type Sent Completes Refusals Undeliverable Responses Rate District Attorney 5 5 0 0 0 100.0% Attorney For Defendant 22 14 8 0 0 63.6% Attorney for Plaintiff 1 1 0 0 0 100.0% Unknown/Other Attorney Type 16 6 9 1 0 40.0% Sub Total: 44 26 17 1 0 60.5% Defendant 101 18 46 34 3 28.1% Plaintiff 16 0 10 6 0 0.0% Law Enforcement 101 26 48 27 0 35.1% Employee 19 3 8 6 2 27.3% Juror 36 19 15 2 0 55.9% Other 184 22 114 43 5 16.2% Parole Officers 19 10 6 3 0 62.5% Sub Total: 476 98 247 121 10 27.6% Grand Total: 520 124 264 122 10 31.2% Judicial Performance Survey 2006 Page 1 ## Page 93 Commission on Judicial Performance 11. Is there anything else that you would like to say about Judge [Name]? Attorney Questionnaire _ _ Evaluation of _ [Name of Judge] _ _ Using a grade scale, where an “A” is excellent along with B, C, D or F for fail, please grade the judge on the following. (If you feel that you don not have 12. Keeping in mind your responses to each of the previous questions, how experience with the judge in a specific area, or just don’t know, please circle the strongly do you recommend that Judge [Name] be retained in office, or not number corresponding to “Don’t Know/Not Applicable”—DK/NS). retained in office? DK Strongly recommend he be retained in office. 5 1. Case Management: A B C D F N/A Somewhat recommend he be retained in office. 4 a. Promptly making rulings during trial. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Undecided or don’t know enough to make recommendation. 3 Somewhat recommend he not be retained in office. 2 b. Beginning court on time. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Strongly recommend he not be retained in office. 1 c. Allotting appropriate amount of time for cases. 4 3 2 1 0 9 d. Keeping cases moving according to schedule. 4 3 2 1 0 9 And why do you think that way about retaining or not retaining Judge e. [Civil only]1 Assisting parties to reach agreement. 4 3 2 1 0 9 [Name]? f. Maintaining appropriate control over proceedings. 4 3 2 1 0 9 _ _ g. Promptly ruling on pre-trial motions. 4 3 2 1 0 9 _ h. Promptly issuing a decision on the case after trial. 4 3 2 1 0 9 _ i. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 4 3 2 1 0 9 _ _ DK 2. Application and Knowledge of Law: A B C D F N/A a. Basing decisions on evidence and arguments. 4 3 2 1 0 9 b. Giving reasons for rulings. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Thank you for your time in completing this questionnaire. c. [Civil only]1 Issuing written findings of fact and law. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Please place it in the self-addressed, postage paid enveloped d. Willing to reconsider error in fact or law. 4 3 2 1 0 9 provided, and place it in the mail. Your participation in this e. Having knowledge of relevant substantive law. 4 3 2 1 0 9 survey is very much appreciated. f. Having knowledge of rules of procedure and evidence. 4 3 2 1 0 9 g. Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 4 3 2 1 0 9 h. [Criminal only]2 Issuing consistent sentences when the circumstances are similar. 4 3 2 1 0 9 i. Willing to make decisions without regard to possible criticism. 4 3 2 1 0 9 j. Making decisions without fear of being appealed . 4 3 2 1 0 9 1 Please answer questions 1e & 2c only if you have observed the judge in a civil case. 2 Please answer question 2h only if you have observed the judge in a criminal case. ## Page 94 DK 6. [Criminal cases only] 1 On the scale below, please indicate by circling the 3. Communications: A B C D F N/A appropriate number how biased you think Judge [Name] is toward the a. Speaking clearly. 4 3 2 1 0 9 defense or the prosecution. If you feel Judge [Name] is completely b. Makings sure all participants understand unbiased, circle “0.” the proceedings. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Bias toward Completely Bias toward c. Using understandable language. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Defense Neutral Prosecution d. Providing written communications that are 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 clear, thorough and well reasoned. 4 3 2 1 0 9 7. [Criminal cases only]1 On the scale below, please indicate by circling the DK appropriate number how lenient or how harsh you think the sentences 4. Demeanor: A B C D F N/A generally handed down by Judge [Name] are. If you feel Judge [Name] a. Giving proceedings a sense of dignity. 4 3 2 1 0 9 generally hands down appropriate sentences, circle “0.” b. Treating everyone involved politely. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Sentences Appropriate Sentences c. Having empathy with the parties involved. 4 3 2 1 0 9 Too Light Sentences Too Harsh d. Treating participants with respect. 4 3 2 1 0 9 e. Presenting a neutral presence on the bench. 4 3 2 1 0 9 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 f. Being consistent in [his/her] behavior 4 3 2 1 0 9 8. If an associate were assigned to Judge [Name] in a case and asked you for g. Conducting [his/her ]courtroom in a neutral advice, what would you say? manner. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ________________________________________________________ h. Giving all participants an opportunity to be heard. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ________________________________________________________ i. Consistently applying laws and rules. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ________________________________________________________ j. Not engaging in ex parte communications 4 3 2 1 0 9 ________________________________________________________ k. Treating pro se parties fairly. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ________________________________________________________ 9. What would you say are Judge [Name]’s strengths? DK 5. Diligence: A B C D F N/A ___________________________________________________________ a. Making tough decisions when necessary. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ b. Using good judgment in application of relevant ___________________________________________________________ law and rules. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ___________________________________________________________ c. Doing the necessary “homework” and being prepared for [his/her] cases. 4 3 2 1 0 9 10. And what would you say are Judge [Name]’s weaknesses? d. Being willing to handle cases on the docket even ___________________________________________________________ when they are complicated and time consuming. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ___________________________________________________________ e. Providing prompt access to the court ___________________________________________________________ in emergency matters. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ [Continued on Back Page] 1 Please answer questions 6 & 7 only if you have observed the judge in a criminal case. ## Page 95 12. Keeping in mind your responses to each of the previous questions, how Commission on Judicial Performance strongly do you recommend that Judge [Name] be retained in office, or not retained in office? Strongly recommend [he/she] be retained in office................................ 5 Evaluation of Somewhat recommend [he/she] be retained in office............................ 4 [Name of Judge] Undecided or don’t know enough to make recommendation............. 3 Somewhat recommend [he/she] not be retained in office..................... 2 Strongly recommend [he/she] not be retained in office......................... 1 Using a grade scale, where an “A” is excellent along with B, C, D or F for fail, please grade the judge on the following. (If you feel that you don’t have experience with the judge in a specific area, or just don’t know, please circle the And why do you think that way about retaining or not retaining Judge number corresponding to “Don’t Know/Not Applicable”—DK/NA). [Name] ? _____________________________________________________________ DK _____________________________________________________________ 1. Demeanor: A B C D F N/A _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ a. Giving court proceedings a sense of dignity. 4 3 2 1 0 9 _____________________________________________________________ b. Treating participants in the case politely _____________________________________________________________ and with respect. 4 3 2 1 0 9 c. Conducting [his/her] courtroom in a neutral manner. 4 3 2 1 0 9 d. Having a sense of compassion and human Thank you for you time in completing this questionnaire. Please place it in the self-addressed, postage paid enveloped provided, understanding for those who appear and place it in the mail. Your participation in this survey is before [him/her]. 4 3 2 1 0 9 very much appreciated. DK 2. Fairness: A B C D F N/A a. Giving participants an opportunity to be heard. 4 3 2 1 0 9 b. Treating those involved in the case without bias. 4 3 2 1 0 9 c. Treating fairly people who represent themselves. 4 3 2 1 0 9 d. Giving each side enough time to present his or her case. 4 3 2 1 0 9 DK 3. Communications: A B C D F N/A a. Makings sure participants understand the proceedings, and what’s going on in the courtroom. 4 3 2 1 0 9 b. Using language that everyone can understand. 4 3 2 1 0 9 c. Speaking clearly so everyone in the courtroom can hear what’s being said. 4 3 2 1 0 9 ## Page 96 DK 8. If a friend of yours was scheduled to appear before Judge [Name] as a 4. Diligence: A B C D F N/A party in either a civil or criminal case and asked you for advice, what a. Beginning court on time. 4 3 2 1 0 9 would you tell your friend about Judge [Name] ? b. Maintaining appropriate control over _ proceedings. 4 3 2 1 0 9 _ c. Setting reasonable schedules for cases. 4 3 2 1 0 9 _ d. Being prepared for [his/her] cases. 4 3 2 1 0 9 _ _ e. Managing court proceedings so that there is _ little wasted time. 4 3 2 1 0 9 9. What would you say are Judge [Name]’s strengths? DK _ 5. Application of Law: A B C D F N/A _ a. Giving reasons for rulings. 4 3 2 1 0 9 _ _ b. Willing to make decision without regard to _ possible outside pressure. 4 3 2 1 0 9 _ c. Being able to identify and analyze relevant facts. 4 3 2 1 0 9 10. And what would you say are Judge [Name]’s weaknesses? _ 6. [If you were in Judge [Name]’s courtroom during a criminal case _ or cases please answer this question, otherwise skip to the next _ question.] On the scale below, please indicate by circling the appropriate _ number how biased you think Judge [Name] is toward the defense or the _ prosecution. If you feel Judge [Name] is completely unbiased, circle “0.” _ Bias toward Completely Bias toward Defense Neutral Prosecution 11. Is there anything else that you would like to say about Judge 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 [Name] ? _ 7. [If you were in Judge [Name]’s courtroom during a criminal case _ or cases please answer this question, otherwise skip to the next _ question.] On the scale below, please indicate by circling the appropriate _ number how lenient or how harsh you think the sentences generally handed _ down by Judge [Name] are. If you feel Judge [Name] generally hands down _ appropriate sentences, circle “0.” Sentences Appropriate Sentences Too Light Sentences Too Harsh Continued on Back Page 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5
Score cards render where the PDF extractor found numeric fields (partial is shown with “—” for missing tiles). “Read full survey text” surfaces the complete report transcription for every survey on file. Source PDFs on OJPE are always linked above for fidelity. Coverage note on Sources.
Sources
- 2012 evaluation on OJPE · scraped Apr 17, 2026
- 2006 evaluation on OJPE · scraped Apr 17, 2026
- 2000 evaluation on OJPE · scraped Apr 17, 2026