The Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 10-0 that Judge Elizabeth D. Leith MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS . The Colorado statutory judicial performance criteria are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Judge Leith presides over matters in the Denver Probate Court. Judge Leith meets all aspects of the performance criteria on which she is evaluated. The Commission found Judge Leith to be an experienced and hardworking jurist who demonstrates judicial efficiency and exceptional judicial demeanor. Judge Leith’s written decisions are definitive, thorough, and well-reasoned. Her notable strengths, as observed by the Commission and described in survey responses, include her deep knowledge of probate and mental health law, her fair and respectful treatment of parties, and her ability to manage effectively complex and emotionally difficult cases. The Commission, based on its observation and analysis of survey responses, did not identify any evaluation category in which Judge Leith displayed a notable weakness as to the performance criteria. Because of the unique nature and complexity of mental health and probate cases, there are no productivity benchmarks.
The Commission met with the Chief Judge of Denver District Court to discuss challenges facing the court system and also met with the Denver District Attorney, a representative of the Denver Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, and the Public Administrator of Denver Probate Court. The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Leith and observed her during court proceedings. It also reviewed opinions she authored, comments received from interested parties during the evaluation, case management data, and judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who interacted with her. The surveys reflected personal opinions regarding Judge Leith in the categories of case management, application and knowledge of the law, communications, diligence, demeanor, and fairness. A total of 35 attorneys and 8 non-attorneys responded to the judicial performance surveys expressing their opinion of Judge Leith. The overall information and data reviewed supports the Commission’s recommendation that Judge Leith meets performance standards.
Judge Leith was appointed to serve as the Presiding Judge for Denver Probate Court in July 2011. Prior to her appointment, Judge Leith served as a Magistrate Judge in Denver District Court, an Assistant City Attorney for the Denver City Attorney’s Office, and a Deputy District Attorney in El Paso and Teller County. Judge Leith serves on multiple Supreme Court and judicial branch committees and is a judicial coach and mentor for other judicial officers. Judge Leith received her undergraduate degree from Metropolitan State University of Denver and her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
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