In recognition and support of excellence in Colorado courts, The Colorado Judicial Institute annually acknowledges the efforts of three outstanding judges. The three Judicial Excellence Awards will be presented at the 6th Annual Judicial Excellence for Colorado Dinner to be held November 18, 2008, at the Denver Marriott City Center. One award will be presented to a jurist in each of the following categories: District Court Judge, County Court Judge, and Magistrate.

CJI invites you to nominate individuals for these awards. Award nominees should possess the following skills:

Efficiently, expeditiously and objectively manage cases and dockets

Recognized by members of the bar, litigants, court personnel, and others as respectful and even-handed, but in firm control of activities within the courtroom

Recognized as an innovator and is creative in dealing with the processes within the courtroom

Displays extraordinary courage, energy and tenacity in the handling of high profile, controversial, or difficult cases

Respected by and has the confidence of other judges, court staff, lawyers and others

Exemplifies the highest standards of judicial excellence throughout a distinguished career

The 2008 Judicial Excellence Awards nominations are now closed.

COLORADO JUDICIAL INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES
2007 JUDICIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

District Court Judge
Honorable Roxanne Bailin

District Court Judge Roxanne Bailin was named to the district court bench in 1987 and has been Chief Judge since 1998. In one of her many letters of nomination, she is praised as “a great leader, innovator, mentor and highly intelligent and decisive judicial officer”.

Judge Bailin has spearheaded many innovative improvements in the 20 th Judicial District particularly for cases involving substance abuse and mental illness. Among these are the Integrated Treatment Court and the Integrated Family Treatment Court established as alternatives to incarceration for treating people while keeping them in the community.

She has been a leader in building collaborative relationships with law enforcement and human services agencies. In 1999, she initiated the Boulder County Mental Health Task Force. The Task Force helped to develop the PACE Program – a specialized probation program integrating mental health services, nursing services, case management throughout probation, life skills, employment assistance, and housing assistance under one roof. Judge Bailin formed the Boulder County Family Access Task Force in 1999. The Task Force developed safe exchange and supervised visitation services for children of families in conflict. The purpose of these services was to allow children to be exchanged by their parents without experiencing violence and conflict and to allow children to see parents who are incapable of safely caring for them on an unsupervised basis. Judge Bailin also developed a truancy project--combining forces with a juvenile magistrate, juvenile case facilitator, school personnel and families--that uses trackers and a conferencing model to develop treatment plans for delinquent youth.

Since 1994, Judge Bailin has served on the Supreme Court Committee on Civil Jury Instructions and currently chairs that committee. She is a member of the Chief Judges Council and has served as the Chief Judge Liaison to the Judicial Branch Human Resources Standing Committee. She has served on the Chief Judge Mentoring Committee and the Legislative Task Force for the Mentally Ill in the Criminal Justice System. Judge Bailin is also a member of the Social Action Committee of Congregation Har HaShem in Boulder.

It is not surprising that during her career, Judge Bailin has been recognized by many organizations for outstanding service to the community. Her awards include: the State Judicial Branch “Outstanding Judicial Officer “ Award, the Voices for Children “Champions for Children” Award, the Colorado Women’s Bar Association “Judge of the Year” Award - twice, the YWCA of Boulder County “Hall of Fame” Award, the Colorado Association of Special Advocates “Judge of the Year” Award, the American Board of Trial Advocates “Judicial Excellence Award”, the Boulder County Bar Association “Beyond the Gavel” Award for Extraordinary Service to Boulder County, and, most recently, the Boulder County Public Health “Healthy Community Award” for exemplifying the Boulder County Public Health mission and values of improving the health and well being of the people and environment of Boulder County.

County Court Judge
Honorable James B. Breese

A County Court Judge since 1987, Judge Breese believes the best changes are accomplished through education and collaboration among all affected parties.

Bringing together stakeholders to improve processes has been a hallmark of his 20-year career. Judge Breese created the Court/Sheriff committee to address conflicts between the two agencies leading to the establishment of uniform procedures to handle prisoners. While in Denver’s juvenile court, Judge Breese vigorously developed and adapted treatment programs to help juveniles and their families. He forged stronger relationships between the court and the schools by meeting with high school and middle school principals. He encouraged schools to treat problems internally when possible, and he began the Quick Turnaround Program to reduce the amount of time juvenile offenders missed class. He improved cooperation between the municipal and state juvenile courts and created systems to end the misfiling of serious cases in the municipal court.

Judge Breese is a Trustee of the Denver Bar Association and serves on the DBA Bench-Bar Committee. During his tenure as co-chair of this Committee, Judge Breese developed pamphlets to help pro se defendants understand their rights and obligations and how the courts operate. Under his leadership, the Committee also made significant improvements to the Denver Jury Service System by implementing a more efficient communication program, securing commitments from community organizations to provide benefits for juror service--including free museum admissions, discounted parking and meals--and improving the Jury Room with ever changing art exhibits and new TV monitors. Judge Breese serves on the Executive Council of the Colorado County Judges Association and the Supreme Court Jury Reform Committee. A charter member of the Marsh Inns of Court, Judge Breese chaired its Program Committee and served as President of the Inn. An active speaker about the court system, Judge Breese has lectured to judges, journalists, civic groups, and law students. He helped to author portions of the Judges DUI Benchbook.

Judge Breese has been recognized with the Judicial Excellence Award from the Denver Bar Association, the Marsh Inn Alfred Harrell Award for Distinguished Service and the Faculty Humanist Award for Teacher Excellence from the University of Colorado. To quote one of his nominators, “In sum, Judge Breese represents the highest intelligence, competence, fairness, judicial temperament and community involvement that the society he serves expects and…with a very good amount of humor”.

Magistrate
Honorable Dinsmore Tuttle

Magistrate Dinsmore Tuttle was appointed as a District Court Magistrate in 1997. In her nomination she was described as “dedicated to helping parties to move efficiently and effectively through the system” while giving ample time for all parties to address their issues. In one of the fastest growing jurisdictions in the state, she is known for being very innovative and creative in dealing with courtroom processes.

After presided over the delinquency docket for three years, Magistrate Tuttle now serves in the Family Court hearing domestic relations and dependency and neglect cases. Magistrate Tuttle collaborated in the creation of a Family Treatment Court to confront the methamphetamine crisis and its impact on families. The Family Treatment Court actively involves parents in establishing/achieving treatment goals and progress assessments, and works to address the overall needs of the family in a more individualized, less standardized manner.

Magistrate Tuttle serves on the Supreme Court Standing Committee on Family Issues and the Respondent Parents’ Task Force. She piloted in Weld County, along with several other counties, the simplified dissolution process that lead to the creation of Rule 16.2 codifying the timely disclosure of information from all parties.

Magistrate Tuttle and her husband have lived in the same house in “what used to be” rural Larimer County for 22 years. Her proudest accomplishment is her three children: Eason, Drew and Brooke.

COLORADO JUDICIAL INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES
2006 JUDICIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

District Court Judge
Honorable C. Dennis Maes

Chief Judge Maes was appointed to the District Court Bench in April 1988. He became Chief Judge in September 1995. Judge Maes has served the legal community with his presence on committees designed to improve the delivery of services to the citizens of Colorado, mentor young lawyers, guide the bar association and provide judicial discipline. He has served on the executive council of the Colorado Bar Association Board of Governors; Supreme Court Committees on Delay Reduction, jury instructions and multiculturalism; and, the Governor’s Task Force on Civil Justice Reform. Judge Maes’ dedication to his community includes service on the Pueblo Regional Planning Commission, the Board of Trustees of the Sangre De Cristo Arts and Conference Center, the Board of Directors of the Eastside Child Care Center, the Board of Directors of Pueblo County Legal Services, Inc., the 10 th Judicial District Board to Certify and Monitor Domestic Violence Treatment Facilities, and the David & Lucille Packard Advisory Board. His work with the Teen Pregnancy Initiative has included attending community forums and working with the police department and school board to ensure that resource officers remained in local schools. Recently Judge Maes has served as a personal mentor to a middle school student.

Judge Maes spearheaded numerous innovative, positive changes in the 10 th Judicial District. He created a position for a family court facilitator/case manager to shepherd cases of juvenile delinquency, dependency and neglect, and domestic relations to a timely conclusion resulting in a delay reduction of 30%. Judge Maes worked with the bar to increase the appropriate use of alternative dispute resolution and elicited the assistance of Senior Judges to preside over settlement conferences and summary judgment motions. In cooperation with a Juvenile Magistrate, the schools and the Department of Human Services, a new truancy program was created to work with at-risk youth as a preventative measure. As part of the truancy program, he personally supervises Friday afternoon study hall and works with parents to reduce the drop out rate.

Judge Maes is widely respected throughout the district and the legal community. He has maintained an open door policy for all staff that includes “Chat with the Chief’ sessions where anything of importance can be discussed. His creation of an “Employee Appreciation” event kept moral high even during times of budget crisis and incredible workloads. His “Sonny and Cher” lip-sync is renowned!

County Court Judge
Honorable Lynn J. Karowsky

Judge Karowsky celebrated 25 years on the bench August 1, 2006. He is remarkably well-respected by his peers, court personnel, members of the bar, and litigants. Judge Karowsky has been the presiding County Court Judge for 8 of the last 10 years, serves as a mentor to judicial officers, and participated in the establishment of a dedicated domestic violence court in Weld County. The judge is a past President of the Weld County Bar Association and is a founder of the Byron White Inns of Court. He served on the committee that drafted small claims rules in 2000 and on an underage drinking coalition. Judge Karowsky, in one of many letters of support, was described as “very creative in imposing conditions of sentencing to accommodate individual circumstances” and demonstrating a commitment to justice that is second to none. The district administrator notes that “He recognizes the work of each judge and employee as important and vital to the entire court system, and encourages everyone to provide suggestions.”

Judge Karowsky has served the Weld County community with commitment and innovation for decades. He taught business law at the University of Northern Colorado and chaired the Monfort Executive Professor Program. He has been named Professor of the Year for the entire business college and for the business department three times. He has served as President and Vice-President of the Weld County United Way as well as Chair of the United Way Budget & Allocation Committee. Judge Karowsky served as Vice President of the National Organization of Women – advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment. He helped to institute the first rape crisis hotline in Weld County and the first battered women’s hotline which later became A Woman’s Place. Judge Karowsky was an incorporator and board member of the Greeley Chamber Orchestra and served on the Greeley Philharmonic Board for eight years. He served on the Union Colony Civic Center board and the board of the Beth Israel Synagogue, including eight years as President of the Board and four years as Sunday School Principal.

Magistrate
Honorable Louis A. Gresh

Magistrate Louis Gresh was appointed a District Court Magistrate in 1986. He also currently serves as a Municipal Judge for Castle Rock, Larkspur and Lone Tree. In his nomination he was described as always “efficiently, expeditiously, and yet, ever objectively managing his domestic cases and dockets – ever rife with high drama and conflict.” Magistrate Gresh is recognized as having extensive family law expertise and a commitment to innovation necessary to save litigants time, money and emotional energy.

Magistrate Gresh has worked with the Colorado Bar Association Continuing Legal Education program since 1986 serving as a lecturer and panelist on the issues of domestic relations law, magistrates’ rules, and delinquency. Since 2004 he has been on the Douglas County Partners Advisory Board working to provide mentors to at-risk youth.

COLORADO JUDICIAL INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES
2005 JUDICIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

District Court Judge
Honorable Thomas J. Curry

Judge Curry was appointed to the Douglas County Court in August 1981. In November 1986, he was appointed to the District Court for the 18th Judicial District and sits in Douglas County. He currently serves as the Deputy Chief Judge for the 18 th Judicial District and is the Presiding Judge for Douglas County. He has effectively managed a diversified docket for a number of years and currently hears civil and criminal cases.

Judge Curry assures personal efficiency in his courtroom by arriving at 6:00 am every morning. In his nomination he is described as “greatly respected by all judicial officers, division staff, clerk’s office staff, probation department, district attorney’s office, public defenders office, law enforcement agencies and attorneys.” He has overseen a number of high profile cases including a recent death penalty case with over 250 motions filed and three months of jury trial.

Since his appointment to the bench, Judge Curry has participated actively on a number of committees and boards, including: the Community Corrections Board for the 18th Judicial District; the Central Region Juvenile Detention Long-Range Planning Committee; the Referee Rules Committee; the Retirement Committee; the Advisory Committee for planning and construction of the Douglas County Justice Center; and the Bench-Bar-Community Relations Committee. He is the present chairperson of the Colorado Sex Offender Management Board.

He has been a guest speaker before local and national organizations including Continuing Legal Education of Colorado, International Practicum Institute, and the Lawyers Public Information Foundation. Judge Curry serves as a mentor/teacher in mock trial competitions, conducts officer training for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and participates in New Judge Orientation. In 1997, Judge Curry received the Distinguished Jurist Award from the Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

County Court Judge
Honorable Cindy Hull Bruner

Judge Bruner was appointed to the Adams County Court in 1991. Prior to becoming a judge, she served as a Deputy District Attorney in Adams County . In her nomination, Judge Bruner is described as “a creative, thoughtful and dynamic judicial officer, who reaches out to her community in an effort to provide better services.”

Judge Bruner has been an innovator in Adams County, working closely with other agencies to improve services for litigants and their families and increasing the efficiency of the court. These innovations include the establishment of protocols to more evenly distribute caseloads throughout the week, the creation of a volunteer probation program, and adoption of a process that allows high risk alcohol offenders to be sent to private probations providers for more intensive supervision. In addition, d uring her two terms as Presiding Judge, Judge Bruner worked for the establishment of a designated domestic violence court, and presided over 56 jury trials in the first year of the court.

Judge Bruner has been active in professional and community organizations. She currently serves on the Executive Council for the Criminal La w Section of the CBA, the Judicial Discipline Commission, the State Probation Advisory Committee, the Adams County Volunteer Probation Board, and as a mentor judge for the Ne w Judge Mentoring Program and has served on the Colorado Supreme Court Criminal Rules Committee. She is a member of the Adams-Broomfield County Bar Association, the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, and the Colorado Bar Association. In 1995, she received the Ed To wey A ward for “outstanding and caring service to victims of crime in Adams County”. She has dedicated countless hours to coaching and judging mock trial competitions and mentoring students at all levels. She volunteers for Rocky Mountain PBS, Ecumenical Refugee Services, and the Brighton Sisters Cities program. She has participated in community races for the American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Magistrate
Stephen J. Schapanski

Magistrate Schapanski was appointed in 1993 as a District Court Magistrate for the 8 th Judicial District, after 19 years in private practice in Fort Collins. His docket is 95% domestic relations and 5% civil matters. Magistrate Schapanski ’s nomination states that “his passion for family law and children’s matters is evident in his longevity on the family docket. His creativity is shown by his successful management of domestic relations cases both in and outside of the courtroom. His tenacity is shown in his choice to stay in the family law area and his great love for family law and dedication to the best interests of children.”

Throughout his career Magistrate Schapanski has been innovative and creative. In 1995 Magistrate Schapanski helped develop and implement a pilot program that examined court efficiency and case management of domestic relations cases. This program was one of those that contributed to the recommendations made by the Court Improvement Committee and was instrumental in the later establishment of Rule 16.2. Magistrate Schapanski serves as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Larimer County Community Corrections Program and has served on the board since its inception in 1975. He has shown a dedication to establishing community corrections as a key element of the Colorado justice system. Magistrate Schapanski received the 2002 Governor’s Community Corrections Advisory Council Distinguished Service Award.

Magistrate Schapanski exhibits a commitment to his profession and community. He has served on the Colorado Court Improvement Committee, the Colorado Office of Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee, Office of the Child’s Representative Local Oversight Committee, and the Larimer County Bench/Bar Committee. He has also served on several committees of the Poudre R-1 School District. Magistrate Schapanski is a frequent presenter of CLE programs for the Larimer County Bar Association and has made numerous presentations including at the State Judicial Conference, the National Alternative Sentencing

Colorado Judicial Institute Announces
2004 Judicial Excellence Award Winners

Judge Roy Olson was appointed to the Jefferson County Court bench in April 1990. In addition to a mixed county court docket, Judge Olson shares oversight of truancy cases in Jefferson County. Judge Olson is a member of the District Attorney's Task Force on Domestic Violence, has attended numerous national seminars on domestic violence, and participates in periodic training in Jefferson County for victim advocates through Family Tree.

Judge Olson has been enthusiastically described by Court Judicial Assistants Carla Stevens, Deborah Freitag and Richard Mailander as "non-biased, understanding, patient, and courteous to those who are in front of him." Judge Olsen has consistently demonstrated a willingness "to help out other divisions, (and) take on extra work such as the Truancy Docket."

Judge Olson has demonstrated a commitment to his community through his participation in high school Moot Court Competitions, involvement with the Drive Smart Evergreen campaign, and volunteering to speak to students in the courthouse and at schools in his community. Judge Olson served for eight years as a member of the Community Responsibility Center's Board of Directors and six years on the Colorado Commission for Judicial Discipline. For over 30 years Judge Olson has been associated with the Forest Heights Lodge, an Evergreen-based treatment center for emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. His service to the Lodge includes a term as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Judge Olson has a B.A. from the University of Colorado and a J.D. from the University of California Berkeley. From is admission to the bar in 1972 until his appointment to the bench in 1990, Judge Olson was in private practice as a lawyer specializing in criminal, juvenile and family law.

Magistrate Smith was appointed to the 10th Judicial District - Pueblo County bench in 2000. His docket includes all juvenile delinquency cases and all attorney-filed dissolution of marriage and custody cases. In addition, Magistrate Smith presides over all county court civil cases. Magistrate Smith currently serves on the Juvenile Probation Services Committee.

Tenth Judicial District Court Administrator Karen Studen has described Magistrate Smith as having a great "day-to-day work ethic, commitment and genuine love of his job. He arrives daily before 7 a.m., often takes no lunch break and many times leaves after 5 p.m. - all the while never complaining and always maintaining a positive attitude. He actively offers suggestions and proposals for changes and efficiencies. He always considers the impact on everyone involved. Many of his suggestions for change center on making things easier for the lawyers, court customers and clerks rather than to meet his own needs. Staff and supervisors have found Magistrate Smith to be accessible and willing to discuss any situation needing his attention or involving his division. When the District lost staff as a result of a budget crisis, Magistrate Smith did not hesitate to assume a greater day-to-day "clerical" role in running his division, including not only the preparation and processing of paperwork but also operating the electronic recording system. He is a true team player and consistently goes the extra mile to help make this district the best it can be."

Prior to being appointed to the bench, Magistrate Smith worked in the Pueblo District Attorney's Office from 1973-1980. Upon leaving the DA's office in 1980 he spent 20 years in private practice focusing on domestic relations/family law cases in addition to criminal defense work.
Magistrate Smith is a member of the CBA and Pueblo County Bar Association. He is a past member and president of the Optimists Club. Magistrate Smith has been married to Karen for 25 years, has 3 grown sons and 4 grandchildren. He is an avid outdoorsman, spending his leisure time hiking, biking, backpacking and snowshoeing.

District Court Judge
Honorable Harlan R. Bockman
Chief Judge, 17th Judicial District

Judge Bockman is the Chief Judge of the 17th Judicial District. He was appointed to the District Court Bench in October 1976. Prior to his appointment, he was the Assistant District Attorney in Adams County.

Recognized by his colleagues as "the dean of the trial bench," Judge Bockman has heard criminal, civil, domestic, and juvenile cases during his tenure. He has presided in an exemplary manner over numerous

high-profile cases, including four death penalty cases. He takes pride in his knowledge of rules of evidence and sentencing laws, and he is a mentor and educator for other judges because of his disciplined study of the law. In the words of his nominators for the Judicial Excellence Award, "Judge Bockman exemplifies the very best of Colorado's independent, merit-based judiciary."

County Court Judge
Honorable Charles T. Hoppin
County Court, Jefferson County

Judge Hoppin was appointed to the Jefferson County Court in May 1996. Prior to his appointment, he was a Deputy District Attorney from 1969 to 1972. He practiced law privately from 1972 to 1996 with emphasis on domestic law and criminal defense.

He is an active member of the First District Bar Association, a member of the Advisory Board for the Jefferson County Mediation Services, and a current

member of the Jefferson County Community Corrections Board. According to Chief Judge Thomas Woodford of the First Judicial District, Judge Hoppin is always willing take on additional work, including assignments in the District Court, and he is especially sensitive to the needs of people in family law cases. He played a pivotal role on a committee within his district to address the current budgetary crisis confronting the judiciary.

Magistrate
Hon. Tijani (T.J.) Cole
District Court, 20th Judicial District

Magistrate Cole has served on the bench in Boulder for ten years. He is active in the community, promoting judicial issues and improving ways that the judiciary can work with its local community. He is the cofounder of Boulder Prep High School, Justice High School, and Zoubida Colo Junior College, and has received numerous awards, including the 2002 Boulder Valley School District Excellence Award, the 2001 "I Have a Dream" Foundation's Dream Maker

Award,and a commendation from Governor Owens for Boulder Prep School in 1999. He has also been a recipient of the African American Leadership Award and the "Beyond the Gavel Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Judiciary and Community."

A holder of five graduate degrees, Magistrate Cole has been described by Chief Judge Roxanne Bailin of the 20th Judicial District as "wonderful, creative, and energetic," and as deeply committed to teenagers and to changing their lives and helping them become productive adults."

District Court
Honorable T. Peter Craven
Ninth District Court, Glenwood Springs

Hon. T. Peter Craven of the Ninth Judicial District Court in Glenwood Springs has been selected as this year's recipient of the Colorado Judicial Institute's Judicial Excellence Award. First appointed to the court in 1991, Judge Craven has handled all types of cases in Garfield, Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties. He also serves as a water judge. Prior to his judicial appointment, he maintained a distinguished career as a trial lawyer in Glenwood Springs and Denver, served as Glenwood Springs' city attorney, and as the Ninth Judicial District's first public defender.

Judge Craven's contributions to the Ninth Judicial District include initiating, creating, and presiding over a drug court for Garfield County. In an effort to make the court system more understandable for Spanish speaking litigants and to improve access to the courts for people who speak Spanish, he traveled to Mexico to learn about the Mexican legal system and has studied Spanish. He has also developed differentiated case management principles for mental health cases in Garfield County. Judge Craven has been active in teaching courses in continuing legal education for special advocates for children and in family law.

Judge Craven is well known for his scholarly, thorough, and patient approach to trying cases, and for his willingness to take on cases for other judges. Judge Thomas Ossola, chief judge of the Ninth Judicial District, praises Craven for his ability to administer his docket in a just and timely fashion and for his role as a leader in judicial reform.

A law graduate of the University of Michigan, Judge Craven serves on the Colorado Supreme Court Civil Rules Committee, Gender Justice Committee, and Probation Advisory Committee. He has also been chair of the bench-bar committees in Garfield and Pitkin counties, and is responsible for a summer intern program.