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Richard T. Spriggs

Trial Court · Denver · Denver

Meets Standards(Retain)2 cycles on record

Evaluation history

  • 1996 retention cycle
    Trial Court · Denver · Denver
    Meets Standards(Retain)
    VotersRetained· 62.8% yes
    67,837 yes · 40,165 no50% needed to retain
    Retention Year: 1996 Recommendation: Retain The Judicial Performance Commission of the Second Judicial District recommends that Judge Spriggs BE RETAINED. Judge Richard Spriggs was admitted to the practice of law in Colorado in 1961. He received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Colgate University in 1958 and a law degree from Cornell University in 1961. Prior to his appointment to the Denver District Court bench in 1988, Judge Spriggs had extensive experience as both a public prosecuting attorney and a litigation attorney in private law firms, including the following; assistant United States attorney for the District of Colorado from 1965 to 1968 and again from 1983 to 1985; United States Department of Justice in the organized crime and racketeering section in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1968 to 1971; assistant attorney general for the State of Colorado from 1971 to 1972; and chief deputy district attorney for the City and County of Denver. Since his appointment to the bench, Judge Spriggs has served in the civil, domestic relations and criminal courts and is currently hearing criminal cases. He has presided over several high-profile cases during the last several years, in which Judge Spriggs skillfully managed the substantial media and public interest in the court proceedings. Judge Spriggs is very concerned about the tremendous increase in violent crime among youths. The comments to Judge Spriggs’ evaluations were generally very positive, praising particularly his overall performance, no-nonsense approach and sense of humor and humanness. Attorney survey responses rated Judge Spriggs very highly in all areas of judicial performance, except courtesy, in which he was rated average. Written survey results showed that 93.8% of attorneys, 66% of courthouse personnel, and 95% of jurors favored retention; 3.1% of attorneys and 10.6% of courthouse personnel favored non-retention; and 3.1% of attorneys, 23.4% of courthouse personnel and 5% of jurors had not opinion.
  • 1990 retention cycle
    Trial Court · Denver · Denver
    Meets Standards(Retain)
    VotersRetained· 64.7% yes
    49,530 yes · 26,981 no50% needed to retain
    Retention Year: 1990 Recommendation: Retain Judicial Performance Commission’s recommendation: Should Be Retained. Judge Spriggs was admitted to practice law in Colorado in October 1961. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University in 1958 and a law degree from Cornell University in 1961. His first work as a lawyer was from 1961 to 1963 handling corporate, banking and real estate matters with Hodges and Harrington in Denver. In 1963 he became an assistant district attorney in Adams County. From 1965 to 1968 he was an assistant U.S. attorney in Denver handling civil and criminal matters in federal court. From 1968 to 1971 as a special U.S. attorney, he headed a federal strike force against organized crime in Philadelphia. He returned to Colorado in 1971 and for two years, under the Colorado attorney general office, established an organized crime investigation unit. From 1973 to 1976, he was with the Denver firm of Zarlengo, Mott and Carlin, handling civil trials. He served as a special prosecutor for both the Colorado attorney general and Denver district attorney in 1974 and 1975. Spriggs was a deputy district attorney in Denver from 1976 to 1983. He was a partner in the Denver firm of Ozer, Spriggs and Trueax, handling civil trials, from 1985 to 1986, and for three years before his appointment to the bench, he again served in the Denver district attorney’s office. His first assignment in the Denver District Court for 1 ½ years was in the domestic-relations division. Since January 1990, he has been with the criminal division. As a domestic relations judge, he was assigned a huge caseload of domestic cases involving child custody and visitation rights, determination of property rights and maintenance payments of divorced persons. He took firm control of the management of his caseload and cut down delays in the handling of the massive load of domestic cases. He tightened up unwarranted postponements. He displayed a decisive manner as well as understanding and compassion in delaying with the emotion-packed problems of separated parents. In his steps at better case management, he stepped on the toes of some lawyers practicing family law, but his reviews by those lawyers appearing before him were far more favorable than unfavorable. Since January 1990, he is back in the criminal arena where he spent the largest part of his successful years as a trial lawyer. The commission is impressed with Spriggs’ industry, his case management techniques, his devotion to the job of being a judge, his 27 years of extensive experience as a lawyer before becoming a judge and his overall qualifications. The questionnaire response from lawyers, litigants, jurors, staff and law enforcement personnel gave Spriggs generally high marks in the numerous categories of rating. These responses confirm he is free of racial or sexual prejudice or favoritism to any group, that he is a diligent, hard-working judge who acts decisively, maintains courtroom control and is punctual. His ratings on courtesy to those lawyers who responded, however, is lower than other areas. The litigants who responded to the questionnaire gave Spriggs very high marks in all categories. All groups favored his retention as a judge by a firm margin.

Surveys & reports

No survey reports on record for this judge.

Sources