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October 26, 2002

By Bill Hethcock
Copyright The Gazette

Judges decide issues ranging from whether a murderer will be executed to who gets the family dog after a divorce. But their decisions attract attention in only a small percentage of cases. That can make it difficult for voters to decide on Election Day whether to retain or oust a judge. Historically, judges in Colorado run unopposed, and people routinely vote to retain them. A group made up primarily of parents who have been involved in child-custody cases is urging people to vote against Colt, Kane, Kennedy and Martin. The court watchdog group, which calls itself the Citizens Judicial Review Committee, accuses the judges of "consistently making bad decisions regarding children and families," says a statement released by the 75-member organization. The judges show bias toward favored parents and lawyers, lack accountability to the public and ignore the best interests of children, said Julie Hatton, the founding director of the group. Hatton bases her conclusions on more than 1,800 cases examined by group members and more than 200 hours of observing judges in the courtroom, she said. "These are bad judges," Hatton said. "These are judges who are abusing their power and harming children and destroying families. These are judges who are ruining lives." Colorado voters abolished partisan elections for judges in 1966. Since then, judges have been appointed by the governor and face a retention election every few years.

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