2024 retention · District Court · 22nd Judicial District
27 percentile · rank 38 of 52
composite 0100
24 percentile · rank 81 of 107
composite 0100
20 9th percentile among peers · 18th percentile statewide
14112
Composite index 33.65 among peers (31.31 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
2.90 of 4 · 17.31 percentile
2.303.80
2.90 of 4 · 18.27 percentile
2.273.80
90.00% 65.38 percentile
29.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 90.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 56.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.30median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 2.70median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Communications | 3.10median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Diligence | 3.00median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Demeanor | 2.70median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Fairness | 2.60median 3.10 | 3.10 |
Commission: meets standards
The Twenty-Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously finds that Chief Judge Todd Jay Plewe MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The criteria for judicial performance are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administration performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
The Commission considers Judge Plewe to be an important asset to the Judicial District not only in his role as a district court judge but also as the Chief Judge of the 22 nd Judicial District. Judge Plewe is consistently prepared and very knowledgeable in the subject matters over which he presides. He actively listens to people appearing in court and communicates well with the parties to ensure that each understands his reasoning and the legal basis and procedures that guide his decisions. He manages his workload well, including additional responsibilities produced by changes in personnel and unexpected circumstances such as the recent pandemic. In his role as Chief Judge, Judge Plewe has established regular meetings among judges, staff, and management and exhibits strong administrative skills which are necessary for this position. The Commission believes that Judge Plewe serves as an excellent role model for other judges, legal professionals, and community members.
The Commission considered multiple sources of information in evaluating Judge Plewe’s judicial performance: (1) a personal interview, (2) a selection of legal opinions by Judge Plewe, (3) observations in court, (4) survey responses from attorneys, judges and non-attorneys, and (5) a self-evaluation prepared by Judge Plewe. Judge Plewe demonstrates that he can adapt well to changes and consistently evaluates his own judicial practice. He regularly adapts to changes and is receptive to implementing ways to improve the 22 nd Judicial District including recognition of unconscious biases in all persons and in our judicial system. It is the opinion of this Commission that the survey responses were unreliable due to very low response rates from both attorneys (<4%) and non-attorneys (<. 4%). Eleven appellate judges rated Judge Plewe’s performance very highly (3.8 of 4). Based on these diverse sources of information, the Commission concludes that Judge Plewe exceeds performance standards.
Judge Plewe has served as a judge in the 22 nd Judicial district for 22 years. He graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1997 and entered private practice. From 2002 to 2010 he was the Montezuma County Court Judge, in 2010 he was appointed as a District Judge, and in 2023 he became the Chief Judge. Judge Plewe states that he recognizes the tremendous responsibility and trust that comes with being a District Court Judge, and he understands and appreciates the culture and values of the 22 nd Judicial District. For many years he has worked with school, church, and community groups and gives presentations whenever asked. He has also coached golf at Montezuma-Cortez High School for 11 years.
2018 retention · District Court · 22nd Judicial District
37 percentile · rank 33 of 52
composite 0100
37 percentile · rank 80 of 128
composite 0100
39 8th percentile among peers · 14th percentile statewide
29158
Composite index 39.42 among peers (40.36 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.40 of 4 · 25.00 percentile
2.963.81
3.40 of 4 · 31.73 percentile
2.913.86
88.00% 61.54 percentile
44.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Overall grade
- 3.45
- Say “meets standards”
- 88.00%
Non-attorneys
- Overall grade
- 3.36
- Say “meets standards”
- 81.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.60median 3.49 | 3.49 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.16median 3.43 | 3.43 | |
| Communications | 3.63median 3.58 | 3.58 | |
| Diligence | 3.50median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Demeanor | 3.36median 3.51 | 3.51 | |
| Fairness | 3.12median 3.59 | 3.59 |
Commission: meets standards (6–0)
The Twenty-Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (6-0) agrees that Judge Todd Jay Plewe MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Plewe was appointed to the District Court for the Twenty-Second Judicial District in 2010. Prior to his appointment to District Court, Judge Plewe served as the Montezuma County Court Judge from 2002 through 2010. Judge Plewe received his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1997. Judge Plewe is actively involved in the community by voluntarily managing a local basketball club with six youth teams, where he coaches one of the basketball teams. Judge Plewe is also the assistant boys’ golf coach at the local high school, and he hosts school, scout, and youth groups at the courthouse. Judge Plewe remains actively involved in the Twenty-Second Judicial District Drug Court.
The Commission reviewed the results of the attorney and non-attorney surveys who had experience with Judge Plewe, conducted unannounced courtroom observations, reviewed caseload statistics and written decisions, filled out decision/opinion review matrices, and conducted an interview with Judge Plewe. Judge Plewe met performance standards according to 88% of Attorneys, 81% of Total Non-Attorneys, and 60% on Non-Attorneys Other; 12% of Attorneys, 5% of Total Non-Attorneys, and 10% of Non-Attorneys Other had no opinion. (Note: The Non-Attorneys Other category includes law enforcement personnel, defendants, litigants, and witnesses.) Importantly, are no juror score for Judge Plewe because no juror surveys were sent as a result of an error made by the Executive Director of the Office for Judicial Performance Evaluation. It is likely Judge Plewes's non-attorney scores would have been higher had jurors had an opportunity to respond to the survey.
Judge Plewe presides over domestic relations (divorce, child custody), criminal, civil, and probate cases. Jurors expressed appreciation for his professionalism and communication skills. Judge Plewe received high marks for his case management, application and knowledge of law, communications, diligence, demeanor, and fairness. The Commission observed each of these traits during their time spent in Judge Plewe’s courtroom. Judge Plewe is often described as fair, consistent, intelligent, and compassionate. Based on these findings, the Commission unanimously agreed Judge Plewe meets performance standards.