James Hesson

The Fourteenth Judicial District Judicial Performance Commission unanimously agreed 7-0, with three commission vacancies, Judge James Hesson MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS .

It was clear from the interview that Judge Hesson is a dedicated judicial officer and is an asset to the 14th Judicial District in County Court. The Commission was disappointed by the lack of participation in the survey results and would encourage the public to participate in the future. Despite the nominal participation, those that did respond were generally complimentary of Judge Hesson. The survey results reflect that Judge Hesson has good judicial demeanor and litigants generally feel respected and heard. Judge Hesson handles a combined docket of traffic cases, civil disputes including small claims, criminal, and misdemeanor cases. He has grown his knowledge and comfort in handling cases beyond the criminal arena. Judge Hesson shows significant interest in meeting those who appear before his bench "where they are" and making the court process more accessible. Judge Hesson is a good communicator and makes great effort to ensure that those appearing before him understand as much of the process as possible. The Commission is pleased that Judge Hesson has embraced virtual courtroom options to promote efficiency and accessibility of the Courts. However, the Commission encourages Judge Hesson to firmly enforce traditional standards of decorum during WebEx proceedings. In deciding cases, Judge Hesson expressed his preference to issue written orders rather than verbal orders from the bench. With this in mind, the Commission would still encourage Judge Hesson to remain open to making some rulings from the bench where appropriate, for the sake of judicial economy and efficiency. Judge Hesson appropriately appears to value "getting it right" over "getting it done". So, while there were comments and notes regarding judicial efficiency or perceived lack thereof, the Commission recognizes that a cautious and thorough, if slower, approach to running a court is preferable to one that rushes through cases and is regularly found to be in error or overturned on appeal. While Case Management is important, the Commission believes that fairness, demeanor and similar considerations are of greater importance. Judge Hesson ranks high in these critical categories. Based on all the aforementioned considerations, the Judicial Performance Commission recommends that Judge Hesson meets performance standards.

The Commission personally interviewed Judge Hesson, observed him in Court, reviewed judicial performance data, written orders, written comments from attorneys and non-attorneys who had experience with Judge Hesson, and reviewed a self-evaluation completed by his Honor.

Judge Hesson was appointed to the Moffat County Court in January 2024. He was a Deputy District Attorney for the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office since 2017. Judge Hesson earned his B.A. from the University of Dallas in 2013 and his J.D. from Baylor University School of Law in 2015.

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