The Twenty-Third Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by vote of 7-0, with one commissioner absent and two commission vacancies, that Judge Andrew Baum MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS . The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Judge Baum presides over domestic relations matters and the newly created criminal Problem Solving Courts (including Sobriety Court, Recovery Court, Wellness Court, and Veterans Treatment and Support Courts) in Douglas County, Colorado. During the current term, he also presided over a civil docket, and he has led the effort to establish the newly mandated competency courts for the 23rd Judicial District. Judge Baum’s demeanor is described as respectful, fair, kind, and just. He is always prepared for the cases he hears and applies the law well. His written orders are detailed and thoughtful, and provide in depth legal analysis on complicated issues, clearly citing the applicable laws. He is efficient in the courtroom and effectively manages his cases, while giving all parties equal time to be heard. His demeanor in the specialty treatment courts is described as open, calm, and consistent, with good use of motivational interviewing to ensure individualized and tailored experiences for the participants. Commission members observed these qualities during their evaluation and interview. Judge Baum’s opinions reflect his knowledge of the law and common-sense communication style. Based on these findings the Commission unanimously agreed that Judge Andrew C. Baum meets performance standards.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Baum, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court and reviewed judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who had interactions in Judge Baum’s court. Among the survey questions was “based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Baum meets judicial performance standards?” Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 75% answered yes and 25% answered no. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 82% answered yes and 18% answered no. A total of twenty-three attorneys and eighteen non-attorneys responded to the judicial performance surveys expressing their opinion of Judge Baum.
Judge Andrew C. Baum was appointed as a District Court Judge on August 1, 2017, and previously presided over a felony criminal case docket, a domestic relations docket, and a civil case docket. Prior to his appointment as a District Court Judge, he served as a Magistrate from July of 2016 to July of 2017. He worked as a Deputy District Attorney in the Denver District Attorney’s Office from October 2007 to July 2016. He served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps from January 2003 to July 2007. His military service included two deployments to Iraq as part of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and a year as an appellate law attorney for the Army’s Government Appellate Division. He received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his law degree from Notre Dame Law School.
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