The Twenty-First Judicial District Judicial Performance Commission unanimously by a vote of 8-0 finds that Judge Craig Peter Henderson MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS . The Commission has one vacancy and one absent commissioner.
By all accounts Judge Henderson has made a smooth transition from being a county court judge to a district court judge. Judge Henderson demonstrates high levels of integrity and good communications skills. Judge Henderson cares about the people in his courtroom as people, not just cases he needs to get through. He takes the time to ensure parties understand what is happening in the courtroom. In criminal cases, he speaks to the defendants to ensure they understand the seriousness of their misconduct while also encouraging them to do better. Judge Henderson has worked throughout his career to improve his judicial temperament and now receives high marks in this area. Judge Henderson has improved his case handling to ensure cases are completed in a timely fashion but has received mixed reviews on issuing timely orders and managing his courtroom schedule. Judge Henderson has recognized his need to continue improving his docketing and calendar management. Judge Henderson has generally been complimented for his legal knowledge but has expressed his own desire for more training in domestic relations, dependency and neglect, and some civil matters and is looking to work such training into his schedule. Overall, the Commission believes that Judge Henderson meets performance standards and is a credit to the bench.
In reaching these conclusions, the Commission considered several sources of information. The Commission considered survey results, case management information, and Judge Henderson’s self-evaluation. The Commission also interviewed attorneys and the Judge, observed Judge Henderson in court, and read opinions he authored. The survey results and interviews were largely consistent with Judge Henderson’s self-evaluation. While there were only 20 survey respondents, they unanimously agreed that Judge Henderson was meeting performance standards.
Judge Craig P. Henderson grew up on the eastern plains of Colorado. He graduated from McPherson College and received his law degree from Washburn University, both in Kansas. In his career as a lawyer, Judge Henderson was mostly a prosecutor but also did a small amount of private practice. He made Mesa County his home in 2002 and worked for the Mesa County District Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor. He was appointed as a Mesa County Court Judge by Governor Bill Owens in 2006 and as a District Court Judge by Governor Jared Polis in 2024.
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