Joshua T. Nowak

Commission: meets standards (9–0)

The Seventeenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 9-0 with one recusal that Judge Joshua T. Nowak MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

Judge Nowak received high marks from survey results for his case management, particularly for issuing prompt decisions and providing alternatives to in-person hearings. His court proceedings are conducted with dignity, and he receives high marks for compassion shown in the courtroom. Hs is prepared for cases on his docket, sets reasonable schedules for those matters, and manages his courtroom so that litigants can be heard, but proceedings are very efficient with little wasted time. Having a criminal docket, there were concerns raised in surveys that he has a bias in favor of defendants, but the Commission did not find evidence of any bias. Judge Nowak describes his judicial approach as one utilizing patience and kindness while striving to make decisions and rulings that are supported by the law. The Commission observed this to be true. Judge Nowak has been a leader in the Judicial District educating judge and others about implicit bias and educating attorneys and law students about issues surrounding Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity. He also volunteers his time to the Tribal Wills Project, which entails students traveling to remote areas on reservation land to draft estate planning documents for those without access to legal services after the passage of the American Indian Probate Reform Act.

This Commission conducted and reviewed a personal interview with Judge Nowak, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court, and reviewed the limited number judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who had interaction in Judge Nowak's court and who had responded to surveys. Among the survey questions was "Based on your responses to the previous questions related to this performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Nowak meets judicial performance standards?" Of the responding attorneys, 92% answered “Yes” and 8% answered “No,” with 0% expressing no opinion. Of the non-attorneys responding to this survey, 86% answered “Yes” and 14% answering they had no opinion. A total of thirteen attorneys and ten non-attorneys responded.

Judge Nowak was appointed to the Adams County Court bench in 2022. Judge Nowak presides over a county court criminal docket in Brighton, Colorado, with 40% of the cases being misdemeanors, 30% traffic offenses and 30% involving felony matters. Judge Nowak was born and raised in Fort Collins, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Political Science and obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Deputy State Public Defender in Adams County and was also in Private Practice where he represented individuals in municipal, state, and federal proceedings.

State evaluation page · 2024 survey report (PDF)