2024 retention · County Court · Denver County
The state did not publish a 2024 survey report: too few responses. This evaluation is not ranked.
Commission: meets standards (5–0)
The Denver County Court Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 5-0 that Honorable Judge Beth Faragher 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 Faragher has stated that her goal as a Denver County Court judge is to provide procedural fairness and access to justice for all who come before her. She is known to explain courtroom processes and procedures in plain language in order to ensure that all parties, especially those without legal counsel, understand what is occurring. At the beginning of cases, she asks each party how they would like to be referred to so she can address each by their preferred name, title and/or pronoun. People in her courtroom have noted that Judge Faragher treats everyone with respect and maintains a sense of calm. Some have noted that Judge Faragher’s efforts to ensure that everyone is heard causes cases to take too much time and slows the pace in her courtroom; however, others noted the fact that Judge Faragher takes this time is one of her greatest strengths. Judge Faragher has served as a Denver County Court judge for more than a decade and has a very strong understanding of the law. In 2023, Judge Faragher presided over two Fresh Start Days, which gave defendants with outstanding warrants an opportunity to have them cleared. During the COVID pandemic, Judge Faragher made a point to be physically present at the courthouse. This enabled her to be a presence in the courthouse for staff questions and support and for last-minute warrant requests. Judge Faragher is involved in the legal community both as a mentor and as a lifelong learner.
In evaluating Judge Faragher, the commission used live, livestream and recorded courtroom observations, conducted a personal interview with the judicial officer, case management data and reviewed surveys from attorney and non-attorney courtroom participants, comments received from interested parties during the evaluation, and the judicial officer self-evaluation, with supporting documents when submitted, to inform its decision for meets/does not meet performance standards.
Judge Faragher was appointed to the Denver County Court in June of 2014. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Florida Atlantic University and her law degree from Case Western Reserve University. Prior to being appointed, she worked in private practice and served as both a part-time and a full-time magistrate in Denver County Court. She is a member of the Colorado Women’s, Colorado and Denver bar associations and serves on many committees, including the court’s Resource Committee and Legal Resource Day Committee, as well as the Denver Bench Bar Committee and the Pathways to Access Standing Committee. She is a member and pupillage leader in the Rhone Brackett Inn of Court. Outside of the legal community, Judge Faragher volunteers her time with many local philanthropic organizations and speaks at schools about the legal system and access to justice. She enjoys running, hiking, skiing, biking, and ultimate Frisbee.
2020 retention · County Court · Denver County
39 percentile · rank 23 of 37
composite 0100
34 percentile · rank 66 of 100
composite 0100
35 67th percentile among peers · 55th percentile statewide
380
Composite index 37.39 among peers (35.83 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.30 of 4 · 29.73 percentile
1.504.00
3.25 of 4 · 21.62 percentile
1.503.95
88.00% 60.81 percentile
0.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 88.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 0.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.30median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.30median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Communications | 3.40median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Diligence | 3.30median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Demeanor | 3.50median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Fairness | 2.70median 3.90 | 3.90 |
Commission: meets standards (10–0)
The Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance, on a vote of 10-0, unanimously finds that Judge Beth Ann Faragher MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Faragher, reviewed survey results of attorneys and non-attorneys who have appeared in Judge Faragher’s courtroom, and reviewed three of Judge Faragher’s written opinions and her self-evaluation. Selected members of the Commission observed Judge Faragher in court. Analysis of this data supports retention. The survey questioned respondents whether, “based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria do you think Judge Faragher meets judicial performance standards?” Of 34 attorneys completing surveys, 88% believe Judge Faragher meets performance standards and13% indicated she does not meet performance standards. Only one non-attorneys completed the survey, so those results are not present a statistically-valid sample.
Judge Faragher’s ranking by attorneys on categories of judicial performance (case management, application and knowledge of law, communications, diligence and demeanor) were at or near the average for all county court judges standing for retention. Judge Faragher scored higher than average in the fairness category. The Commission’s courtroom observation, interview, and reviews of written material provide a picture of a judge consistent with the positive comments of survey respondents. Judge Faragher has been described by attorneys as “friendly and efficient manner on the bench,” “very careful to go over the law relating to her rulings with the parties” and an “excellent jurist.” It was also noted that her docket management has improved over time. Based on these findings, the Commission unanimously agreed that Judge Faragher meets performance standards in all categories.
Judge Faragher was appointed to the Denver County Court in July 2014. Prior to her appointment, Judge Faragher served as a Denver County Court magistrate, Pro Tem Judge for the City of Westminster, and was an attorney in private practice specializing in criminal defense, employment law, and mental health court appointments. Judge Faragher obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and her undergraduate degree from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. She is active in the Denver Access to Justice Committee, and the Denver Bench Bar Committee.
2016 retention · County Court · Denver County
70 percentile · rank 11 of 36
composite 0100
78 percentile · rank 24 of 108
composite 0100
74 54th percentile among peers · 50th percentile statewide
5140
Composite index 74.07 among peers (77.31 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.74 of 4 · 87.50 percentile
3.113.84
3.71 of 4 · 81.94 percentile
3.023.84
84.00% 52.78 percentile
50.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Overall grade
- 3.62
- Say “meets standards”
- 84.00%
Non-attorneys
- Overall grade
- 3.80
- Say “meets standards”
- 91.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.50median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.74median 3.49 | 3.49 | |
| Communications | 3.87median 3.65 | 3.65 | |
| Diligence | 3.50median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Demeanor | 3.75median 3.62 | 3.62 | |
| Fairness | 3.87median 3.66 | 3.66 |
Commission: meets standards (10–0)
The Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance, on a vote of 10-0, unanimously recommends that Judge Beth A. Faragher BE RETAINED.
Judge Faragher was appointed to the Denver County Court in July 2014. Prior to her appointment, Judge Faragher served as a Denver County Court magistrate, Pro Tem Judge for the City of Westminster, and was an attorney in private practice specializing in criminal defense, employment law, and mental health court appointments. Judge Faragher obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and her undergraduate degree from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. She is active in the Colorado Bar Association Leadership Training, the Denver Access to Justice Committee, and the Denver Bench Bar Committee.
The Commission reviewed survey results of attorneys and non-attorneys who have appeared in Judge Faragher’s courtroom, reviewed three of Judge Faragher’s written opinions as well as her self-evaluation. Selected members of the Commission observed Judge Faragher in court. The Commission then interviewed Judge Faragher. Analysis of all these data supports retention. Of attorneys completing surveys, 84% recommend retention and 16% indicate that they were undecided or did not have enough information to make a recommendation. Of the non-attorneys completing surveys, 91% recommend retention, 4% somewhat recommend that Judge Faragher not be retained and 6% made no recommendation. (These percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.)
The number of attorney respondents (19 completed) is too small to allow for an item by item analysis; however, the Commission notes that the trend in responses is positive overall. In the areas of case management, demeanor, knowledge of law, communication, diligence, and fairness, Judge Faragher exceeds the average scores of other county court judges standing for retention. Written comments support these scores. Judge Faragher is described as an outstanding member of the bench with strong judicial reasoning, impartiality, and compassion for those who appear in front of her. Non-attorney respondents evaluated her above the average in questions related to demeanor, fairness, communication, and application of law. In only one area, diligence, are Judge Faragher’s scores from non-attorneys below the average of county court judges standing for retention. In written comments several attorney and non-attorney respondents raise concerns that matters may take longer than they should in her courtroom, a conclusion of the Commissioners who observed her as well. In her interview, Judge Faragher recognized docket management as an area for continuing improvement that she will address.