Victor M. Zerbi

Evaluation history

• 1998 retention cycle

  Trial Court · Garfield · Garfield

  Meets Standards(Retain)
  Retention Year: 1998 Recommendation: Retain The Ninth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Victor M. Zerbi BE RETAINED. Judge Zerbi was appointed as County Judge for Garfield County in 1980. Judge Zerbi's caseload is heavy, with a large number of cases appearing before him each day. Judge Zerbi handles this work with efficiency and dispatch. His stated goals include a high degree of consistency and predictability in sentencing. He appears to place much emphasis in following through on the defendants who have been found guilty to determine their performance in carrying out the terms of their probation or sentence. The Commission was especially impressed with the periodic reviews, for example, of those who had longer sentences or probation. The adjustment of sentences in mid-course appeared to the Commission to be a praiseworthy balance to the uniform standard of initial sentences. Judge Zerbi is clearly an intelligent and purposeful judge who has given remarkable thought and analysis to his function, and strikingly, to the result of his judgments. Although sometimes criticized for not taking mitigating circumstances into account, he has adjusted his pattern of sentencing over the years. Most significantly, he has analyzed the rates of recidivism (repeat offenses) and he has made course corrections. The written comments and the statistical data were wide-ranging and varied. Judge Zerbi's rating from attorneys was 79% favorable, and from other groups is, today, a very high rate of recommendation for retention. Judge Zerbi, no doubt as a result of the self-analysis and study of the effect of his sentences, as well as his keen ability to articulate his views of the judicial process, has been singled out for honors by the judiciary, and as an instructor in judicial programs. Judge Zerbi was involved in writing six out of eight domestic violence laws enacted in Colorado. Domestic violence cases make up an increasingly large percentage of cases he hears. We hope his historical corrective behavior in the past will repeat itself with any needed corrections to existing domestic violence laws. Percentage rates for the retention of Judge Zerbi are: Attorneys 78.6%, Court Personnel 100.0%, Law Enforcement Personnel 90.0%, Jurors 90.5% and Litigants 81.3%. The Ninth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Victor M. Zerbi be retained in office.
• 1994 retention cycle

  Trial Court · Garfield · Garfield

  Meets Standards(Retain)
  Retention Year: 1994 Recommendation: Retain Judge Zerbi has been County Court Judge in Garfield County in Glenwood Springs for 14 years. He has had 25 years of experience in litigation as an attorney and as a judge. His cases are divided among criminal, traffic and civil. IT appears to the Commission that Judge Zerbi’s performance on the bench is of high quality and the litigants and jurors alike have given him high marks on the questionnaire circulated by the judicial department. In past years, there have been signs of dissatisfaction with Judge Zerbi on the part of some of the bar. This year of questionnaires returned by attorneys, 85.7% recommended he be retained. Judge Zerbi has a strong commitment to fairness and impartiality. He appeared to the Commission to be highly motivated in his position, thoughtful, articulate and sincere. A favorable point in Judge Zerbi’s practice of explaining the proceedings and the applicable lase to the persons before him. The Ninth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Victor M. Zerbi, Jr. BE RETAINED.
• 1990 retention cycle

  Trial Court · Garfield · Garfield

  Meets Standards(Retain)
  Retention Year: 1990 Recommendation: Retain Judicial Performance Commission’s recommendation: Should Be Retained. Judge Zerbi is the Garfield County judge sitting in Glenwood Springs. He was appointed in February 1980. Although his position is part-time, he sits as an acting district judge when appointed by the chief district judge. He does not maintain a separate law practice. Zerbi received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 1966 and his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1969. He was admitted to practice law in Michigan and Colorado. Since 1985, he has been Rifle Assistant Municipal Court Judge, and was an assistant Glenwood Springs Municipal Court Judge from 1983 to 1990.  From 1971 to 1980, he was a deputy state public defender, first in Denver and then in Glenwood Springs. The commission held public hearings, and the input tended heavily in favor of retaining Zerbi. However, written comments from law enforcement officers were critical of Zerbi’s decisions in the handling of procedural and technical aspects of criminal cases. Although comments from attorneys sometimes criticized his courtroom demeanor, comments and public input from probation and social service support offices strongly favored him.

Surveys & reports

No survey reports on record for this judge.

Sources

• 1998 evaluation on OJPE · scraped Apr 17, 2026
• 1994 evaluation on OJPE · scraped Apr 17, 2026
• 1990 evaluation on OJPE · scraped Apr 17, 2026