William Young Furse

Commission: meets standards (9–0)

The Twenty Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance by a vote of 9-0 with one commission vacancy, finds that Judge William Young Furse MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

Judge Furse presides over a complex and increasingly diverse docket of criminal, civil, probate, domestic relations, juvenile matters, and appeals from the county court. His background as both a Public Defender and District Attorney gives him a balanced perspective on the judicial system. As with all judges, his legal knowledge is stronger in some areas than others, and he makes ongoing efforts to learn more through formal training and consulting with fellow judges. He communicates his decisions clearly after listening carefully to all parties, often following up to check understandings. His administrative performance is characterized as efficient, with opinions issued in a timely manner. His fellow judges consider him a team player who does his share, and they appreciate his willingness to take on additional workload when needed, including in more demanding types of cases. He demonstrates integrity by recusing himself when appropriate. His courtroom demeanor is consistently respectful, courteous, and considerate of others’ concerns such as anxiety about appearing in court or constraints in their schedules. He makes special efforts to be fair to those who represent themselves without lawyers. Outside the courtroom, he educates others about the judicial system and works to get assistance for people with fewer resources to access the judicial system.

The Commission evaluates judges on six standards: legal knowledge, communication, administrative performance, integrity, judicial temperament, and service to the legal profession. To evaluate Judge Furse’s performance, the commission observed him in court, reviewed his opinions, considered his self-evaluation, reviewed responses to surveys sent to all persons who have appeared in court and to appeals judges, and received input from the District Attorney. It also conducted personal interviews with Judge Furse, Chief Judge Plewe, and the District Public Defender.

Before becoming a judge, Judge Furse served as a Deputy State Public Defender for the 22nd and 6th Judicial Districts. He also worked in private practice focused on criminal defense and served as a contract public defender for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. He served two terms as the elected District Attorney for the 22nd Judicial District, and following his term-limited service, he was Assistant District Attorney. He briefly returned to private practice until his appointment as a judge in 2023. Judge Furse works to increase community awareness and understanding of the judicial system through Leadership Montezuma. He also serves as a judicial representative on the district’s Access to Justice Program, which works to ensure that individuals can meaningfully access the courts regardless of financial resources. He is active in the local bar association. Judge Furse is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

State evaluation page · 2026 survey report (PDF)