2024 retention · County Court · Montrose County
86 percentile · rank 7 of 47
composite 0100
85 percentile · rank 16 of 107
composite 0100
16 22nd percentile among peers · 10th percentile statewide
671
Composite index 81.56 among peers (81.62 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.60 of 4 · 84.04 percentile
2.103.80
3.57 of 4 · 78.72 percentile
2.173.75
92.00% 81.91 percentile
27.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 92.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 50.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.40median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.60median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Communications | 3.60median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Diligence | 3.60median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Demeanor | 3.70median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 3.50median 3.20 | 3.20 |
Commission: meets standards (8–0)
The Seventh Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote 8-0, with one absent and one Commissioner vacancy, that Judge Kurt Michael Beckenhauer MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Beckenhauer was observed as having a calm and professional demeanor while presiding over the Courtroom. Judge Beckenhauer was praised by the Commission for his ability to treat parties fairly and consistently, with a judicial manner suited to his position. He is conscientious and has excellent attention to detail. Judge Beckenhauer’s opinions reflect his knowledge of the law and willingness to perform thorough legal research. His work speed in the courtroom during busy dockets has increased with time and experience on the bench. The Commission appreciates Judge’s Beckenhauer’s conscientious approach but notes this can also sometimes cause delays in the issuance of written opinions.
The Commission suggests that Judge Beckenhauer be mindful of this and use best efforts to improve the timeliness of his written work product. The Commission interviewed Judge Beckenhauer via zoom video conference on April 25, 2024, with various Commission members observing him in Court, either in person or via electronic means prior to that evaluation. The Commission also spoke with representatives of the District Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office, and the Chief District Judge for the Seventh Judicial District. Judge Beckenhauer presides over civil, criminal, traffic and small claims cases in Montrose County. His criminal docket includes both felony and misdemeanor-level cases. This is a part-time position for Judge Beckenhauer, due to the volume of cases filed in the West End of Montrose County. Judge Beckenhauer also serves as a district court magistrate within the Seventh Judicial District; that is considered a separate position and is not the subject of this review.
Judge Beckenhauer was appointed to be the Associate County Judge for the West End of Montrose County in August of 2018. Prior to his appointment, Judge Beckenhauer worked as a deputy district attorney in the Seventh Judicial District.
2020 retention · County Court · Montrose County
41 percentile · rank 22 of 37
composite 0100
39 percentile · rank 61 of 100
composite 0100
11 18th percentile among peers · 7th percentile statewide
380
Composite index 37.84 among peers (41.17 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.10 of 4 · 10.81 percentile
1.504.00
3.18 of 4 · 12.16 percentile
1.503.95
100.00% 90.54 percentile
0.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 94.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.10median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.10median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Communications | 3.20median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Diligence | 3.10median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Demeanor | 3.40median 3.50 | 3.50 |
Commission: meets standards (9–0)
The Seventh Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (9-0) agrees, with one Commissioner absent, that Judge Kurt Michael Beckenhauer MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Over the past term Judge Beckenhauer presided over criminal, misdemeanor, traffic, civil, and small claims matters. Based on the Commission’s overall evaluation, Judge Beckenhauer has demonstrated that he meets or exceeds performance standards in all categories. Judge Beckenhauer is new to the bench. This is his first evaluation by the Seventh Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance. Judge Beckenhauer carefully reviewed the survey results prior to his interview with the Commission. Without exception, comments to the surveys attested to Judge Beckenhauer’s patience, fairness, thoughtfulness and respect for litigants. Weaknesses suggested were organization and efficiency. Judge Beckenhauer had prepared a plan to address his organization and efficiency, including the use of pre-hearing preparation, spreadsheets, and scripts for matters that occur regularly. Judge Beckenhauer has also asked other judges to critique his docket management. It is the belief of the Commission that Judge Beckenhauer’s only significant weakness is inexperience, and that his performance will improve with time.
The Commission observed or monitored Judge Beckenhauer in the courtroom, reviewed opinions he authored, reviewed survey results, interviewed the Chief Judge, the District Attorney and the Public Defender, reviewed Judge Beckenhauer’s written self-evaluation, and conducted a personal interview. Eleven attorneys responded to surveys regarding Judge Beckenhauer’s performance. All of the attorneys responding agreed that Judge Beckenhauer does meet performance standards. The surveys covered the judicial performance criteria of integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance and service to the legal profession and the public. The criteria are graded on a scale of 0 to 4. Judge Beckenhauer’s overall rating was 3.1.
Judge Beckenhauer was appointed to the Montrose County Court in August of 2018. Prior to his appointment Judge Beckenhauer worked as a prosecutor in the Office of the District Attorney for the Seventh Judicial District.