2022 retention · District Court · 2nd Judicial District
17 percentile · rank 56 of 67
composite 0100
13 percentile · rank 116 of 134
composite 0100
38 29th percentile among peers · 33rd percentile statewide
15132
Composite index 22.14 among peers (17.66 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.20 of 4 · 21.64 percentile
2.603.80
3.25 of 4 · 24.63 percentile
2.583.82
74.00% 20.15 percentile
43.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 74.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 79.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.30median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.20median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Communications | 3.40median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Diligence | 3.20median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Demeanor | 3.30median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Fairness | 3.10median 3.40 | 3.40 |
Commission: meets standards (9–0)
The Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance agrees by a vote of 9-0 with one Commissioner absent from voting, that Judge Kandace C. Gerdes MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Judge Gerdes presently presides over a criminal docket and previously presided over a civil docket. Judge Gerdes meets all aspects of the performance criteria and writes in a clear, concise, and well-reasoned manner. Her demeanor is generally described as fair, thoughtful, and well-prepared in the courtroom. The management of her courtroom is described as highly efficient and thorough. Commission members observed these qualities during their evaluation and interview. Judge Gerdes is frequently considered a mentor for other judges. The Commission appreciates Judge Gerdes’ leadership efforts in this regard. The Commission did not identify any evaluation category in which Judge Gerdes displayed a notable weakness.
The Commission met with the Chief Judge of Denver District Court regarding Judge Gerdes’ performance, as well as with members of the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office and Probation Department. The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Gerdes and observed her during court proceedings. It also reviewed opinions she authored, comments received from interested parties during the evaluation, recordings from her courtroom, case management data, and judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys that interacted with her. The surveys reflected personal opinions on Judge Gerdes’ Case Management, Application and Knowledge of the Law, Communications, Diligence, Demeanor, and Fairness. Of the 24 attorneys and 14 non-attorneys who completed the survey and reported they had sufficient knowledge of Judge Gerdes’ performance to evaluate her, 74% of the attorneys and 79% of the non-attorneys believe that Judge Gerdes met performance standards. Judge Gerdes’ combined (attorney and non-attorney) survey scores are slightly below average for district court judges statewide in all categories. Judge Gerdes received a rating slightly below the statewide average for district court judges from the 11 appellate judges who evaluated her performance. While the Commission used these survey results in its evaluation, this evaluation tool was used in conjunction with several others to evaluate Judge Gerdes’ performance. All data reviewed by the Commission supports the recommendation that Judge Gerdes be retained.
Governor Hickenlooper appointed Judge Gerdes in November 2013. She earned her undergraduate degree from Creighton University, her law degree from Creighton University School of Law, and her LL.M. from the University of Denver. Prior to that, she was in private practice and served as a Deputy District Attorney in Denver assigned to the economic crime and grand jury units, as well as several task forces. Judge Gerdes is a member of the Colorado Bar Association, Denver Bar Association, Colorado Women’s Bar Association, and Rhone-Brackett Inn of Courts.
2016 retention · District Court · 2nd Judicial District
13 percentile · rank 53 of 61
composite 0100
10 percentile · rank 97 of 108
composite 0100
70 54th percentile among peers · 45th percentile statewide
17164
Composite index 16.67 among peers (15.28 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.21 of 4 · 15.57 percentile
2.793.84
3.23 of 4 · 17.21 percentile
2.813.84
63.00% 17.21 percentile
40.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Overall grade
- 2.94
- Say “meets standards”
- 63.00%
Non-attorneys
- Overall grade
- 3.53
- Say “meets standards”
- 84.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.05median 3.38 | 3.38 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.08median 3.41 | 3.41 | |
| Communications | 3.38median 3.53 | 3.53 | |
| Diligence | 3.24median 3.48 | 3.48 | |
| Demeanor | 3.25median 3.47 | 3.47 | |
| Fairness | 3.38median 3.68 | 3.68 |
Commission: meets standards (10–0)
The Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance, on a vote of 10-0, recommends that Judge Kandace C. Gerdes BE RETAINED.
Judge Gerdes was appointed by Governor John Hickenlooper in November 2013 for a term beginning in January 2014. Prior to her appointment, Judge Gerdes was a senior deputy district attorney in the economic crimes unit for the 2nd Judicial District. Previously she was in private practice specializing in state and federal civil tax controversy resolution. Judge Gerdes earned a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from Creighton University and earned a master’s degree from the University of Denver. Judge Gerdes engages in community service activities including mentoring high school students through Denver Kids and volunteering in continuing education seminars as a presenter, group leader, and panelist.
Judge Gerdes has served in the domestic relations division and currently presides over criminal matters. The Commission reviewed survey results of attorneys and non-attorneys who have appeared in her courtroom as well as of appellate judges. The Commission also conducted a personal interview with the judge, reviewed her self-evaluation and several written opinions. Selected members of the Commission observed Judge Gerdes in court. Of attorneys completing the survey 63% recommended retention and 37% recommended not to retain. Of non-attorneys completing the survey 84% recommended retention, 13% recommended she not be retained, and 3% made no recommendation.
The Commission notes that Judge Gerdes’ overall ratings from attorneys for case management, application and knowledge of law, communications, demeanor, and diligence are significantly below the average combined ratings of all district judges standing for retention. Non-attorneys, however, rate her nearly on par with the average of her peers. Of concern to the Commission is the fact that 60% of attorneys surveyed indicate that Judge Gerdes is very biased in favor of the prosecution and 10% of the attorneys believed that she was somewhat biased in favor of the prosecution. In contrast, 81% of the non-attorneys believe that she is completely neutral. Judge Gerdes has acknowledged this perception and has taken proactive steps to improve her performance. Because Judge Gerdes is a relatively new judge, the Commission believes these efforts are appropriate and supports her retention.