William David Alexander

The Tenth Judicial District Judicial Performance Commission by majority vote finds that Judge William David Alexander DOES NOT MEET PERFORMANCE STANDARDS . Of the 10 Commissioners, 7 voted that Judge Alexander does not meet performance standards and 3 voted that he does meet performance standards. The Commission evaluates judges on six standards: legal knowledge, communication, administrative performance, integrity, judicial temperament and service to the legal profession.

Judge Alexander presides over 100% of the dependency and neglect docket and 15% of the criminal docket. The Commission conducted personal interviews with Judge Alexander, reviewed his written orders, observed him in court, reviewed his self-evaluation, reviewed his survey results, as well as a letter of support and other comments received by the Commission. The Commission also interviewed the Chief Judge, the Pueblo District Attorney, and the head of the Pueblo Public Defenders’ office. While Judge Alexander’s courtroom demeanor is generally friendly and professional, there have been reports of occasional rude and disrespectful conduct directed at professionals appearing before the court. Judge Alexander demonstrates extensive experience as a judge and a good understanding of the law. However, there are concerns. In criminal cases there seems to be general knowledge by the attorneys who appear in front of him that he tends to treat defense more favorable in sentencing decisions, which inhibits the prosecution in negotiating what they feel is a more appropriate disposition. Moreover, this affects decisions by both prosecution and defense attorneys on whether to take a case to trial or resolution through a plea agreement. While the Commission acknowledges and respects Judge Alexander’s commitment to rehabilitation and treatment measures, rather than punitive measures, it finds this perspective may impede justice generally and more directly, the accountability of criminal defendants in many cases. The other issue that many of the Commissioners found concerning is related to allegations of Judge Alexander’s engagement in ex parte communications, which means more specifically allegations that Judge Alexander communicates with attorneys on one side of a case about the facts of that case when the attorneys on the other side of the case are not present nor have proper notification of the communication. When asked about various concerns during the interview process, the Judge’s responses reflected limited acknowledgment of personal responsibility and tended to emphasize external factors and the conduct and actions of others.

Judge Alexander graduated from the University of Denver College of Law in 1990. From 1990 to 1994, he worked as a Public Defender. In 1994, he became a Magistrate in Pueblo County. In 2002, he became the Municipal Judge for the City of Pueblo. In 2012, Judge Alexander was appointed by Governor John Hickenlooper as a District Court Judge in Pueblo. The Commission commends Judge Alexander as to his service to the legal profession. He is very committed to the Pueblo community and engages in frequent community service, including working with CASA volunteers, participating in the Boys and Girls Club events, giving presentations to the Leadership of Pueblo Program, and participating in events at Pueblo schools.

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