Allison Eid
Gregory Hobbs
DENVER, Colo. (Legal Newsline)-Voters in Colorado will decide in November whether to retain two state Supreme Court justices and six judges on the state Court of Appeals.
On the ballot are Supreme Court Justices Allison Eid and Gregory Hobbs Jr. They both have been recommended for retention by the state Commission on Judicial Performance.
The panel of four attorneys and six non-attorneys are appointed by the governor, the chief justice, the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House.
Justice Allison Eid is the wife of U.S. Attorney Troy Eid. A former clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and a former Solicitor General of Colorado, Eid was appointed to the high court in 2006.
"Justice Eid's high standard for proficiency and efficiency reflects her enthusiasm for her work," the panel wrote in its evaluation, adding that attorneys rated her above average for writing opinions and being well-prepared for oral argument.
Justice Gregory Hobbs, meanwhile, was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 1996. Before his appointment, Hobbs was a longtime environment and land use lawyer.
"Justice Hobbs is a well-seasoned jurist who has written opinions on nearly every aspect of the law," the commission report said. "His opinions appeared to be clear, direct, and respectful, but at times they addressed more than is necessary to resolve the case."
The appeals court judges on the ballot are Judges Steven L. Bernard, David Furman, Robert Hawthorne, Jerry Jones, Gilbert Roman and Diana Terry.
"Colorado's judicial performance process tries to strike an extremely difficult balance by making judges accountable to the public without becoming involved in politics," Paul Farley, chair of the state Commission on Judicial Performance, said when the panel announced its reviews.
"It is important that citizens take the time to review the information the commissions have provided and cast informed votes on election day," Farley added.
From Legal Newsline: Reach reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.