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ROAD LESS GAVELED By Karen Abbott, Rocky Mountain News, 08-05-02 One in five judges facing retention elections in Colorado this fall is choosing instead to leave the bench. One hundred thirty-one judges face public retention votes Nov. 6, and 26 have said they won't return for another term, said Michelle Stermer, who tracks the list for the state judicial branch. More could bow out by today, the deadline for judges to declare. Some judges are leaving even though they aren't scheduled for a retention vote this year. A few judges prefer to avoid the possibility of public criticism by committees that recommend to voters whether individual judges should be retained or voted off the bench. The wave of departures gives Gov. Bill Owens an unprecedented chance to reshape Colorado's judiciary. Owens has named 60 judges since he took office in February 1999 and is expected to name as many as 30 more by the time his first term ends early next year. That's more than former Gov. Dick Lamm appointed in all 12 years he was in office - 59 - and is approaching the 114 judges former Gov. Roy Romer named in his 12 years. It means that by early next year, a third of Colorado's state judges will have been chosen by Owens. Lawyers and judges are looking hard at his picks. Twenty of the 60 judges Owens has chosen so far were serving as prosecutors when he tapped them for the bench. Fifteen others worked as prosecutors earlier in their careers. He said defense lawyers are the most critical of his prosecutorial appointments. But lawyers and judges of all types - even some Republicans - have voiced the same worry. Most don't want their names used for fear they'll have to argue a case before a judge chosen by Owens who might take their criticism personally. WORKING TOGETHER TO ATTAIN FAIRNESS | ||
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