2024 retention · District Court · 4th Judicial District
55 percentile · rank 23 of 52
composite 0100
53 percentile · rank 50 of 107
composite 0100
42 64th percentile among peers · 67th percentile statewide
14112
Composite index 57.37 among peers (54.36 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.40 of 4 · 74.04 percentile
2.303.80
3.35 of 4 · 68.27 percentile
2.273.80
78.00% 29.81 percentile
29.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 78.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 68.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.50median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.20median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Communications | 3.60median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Diligence | 3.50median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Demeanor | 3.20median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Fairness | 3.10median 3.10 | 3.10 |
Commission: meets standards (5–0)
The Fourth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance voted 5-0 unanimously with five absent that Judge David L. Shakes MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Shakes has served as a District Judge since 2003. His docket is divided into 5% Misdemeanor, 5% Traffic, 50% Criminal and 40% Civil. Judge Shakes has presided over all the various District Court dockets. He currently presides over the Veterans Trauma Court. The Commission evaluated surveys from attorneys and non-attorneys, conducted interviews with the Chief Judge, District Attorney, Chief of the Public Defender’s Office and with Judge Shakes. In addition, the Commissioners observed courtroom proceedings in a variety of circumstances to collect the best available information. Judge Shakes overall combined score on the 2024 Judicial Performance Survey was 3.4 out a possible score of 4.0. The Commission is concerned that the surveys are not helpful since there was only a small number of responses in comparison to the number of surveys circulated. There were 18 attorneys that responded and 21 non–attorneys. The large majority of the attorneys and non-attorneys who responded stated Judge Shakes meets performance standards. The appellate judges gave him a score of 3.5 out of 4.0 and one appellate judge comment stated he brings a wealth of experience to the table, and he has excellent judicial temperament. Comments about Judge Shakes are that he has good knowledge of the law, that he is fair to both sides and is clear with his expectations and his orders. He lends a sense of seriousness to the court proceedings and runs an efficient courtroom. The few negative comments were that he may come across as stern or may be harsh in dealing with domestic violence cases. The Commission determined that Judge Shakes has no disciplinary history, and he has filed his financial disclosures on time.
Judge Shakes is passionate about promoting Problem-Solving Courts and especially the Veterans Trauma Court, which makes an incredible difference in the lives of many veterans. These courts have been effective in reducing recidivism. Judge Shakes is involved in developing a curriculum of best practices from what has been learned in Problem Solving Courts to be used in the regular criminal docket. Judge Shakes teaches a class on Problem Solving Courts at the Sturm College of Law at University of Denver. He has made numerous presentations at state and national conferences on Problem Solving Courts and Veterans Courts.
Judge Shakes began his legal career as the Trial Judge of the United States Army Reserve and served one year in Iraq as a Rule of Law Advisor. Judge Shakes is an experienced and hard-working judge who is an asset to the bench in the Fourth Judicial District.
2018 retention · District Court · 4th Judicial District
49 percentile · rank 27 of 52
composite 0100
51 percentile · rank 63 of 128
composite 0100
93 80th percentile among peers · 80th percentile statewide
29158
Composite index 47.12 among peers (50.52 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.57 of 4 · 55.77 percentile
2.963.81
3.58 of 4 · 62.50 percentile
2.913.86
79.00% 23.08 percentile
44.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Overall grade
- 3.45
- Say “meets standards”
- 79.00%
Non-attorneys
- Overall grade
- 3.71
- Say “meets standards”
- 88.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.51median 3.49 | 3.49 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.43median 3.43 | 3.43 | |
| Communications | 3.72median 3.58 | 3.58 | |
| Diligence | 3.58median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Demeanor | 3.56median 3.51 | 3.51 | |
| Fairness | 3.68median 3.59 | 3.59 |
Commission: meets standards (5–0)
The Fourth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (5-0) agrees that El Paso County District Court Judge David L. Shakes MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Shakes has served as an El Paso County District Judge since March, 2003. Judge Shakes received his undergraduate degree from Lehigh University in 1975. He received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1978. Judge Shakes also has a Masters Degree from the Army War College, and a Masters of Judicial Studies degree from the University of Nevada – Reno. Prior to his appointment on the bench, Judge Shakes was in private practice in Colorado Springs where he focused on commercial and construction litigation. Judge Shakes retired as a Colonel in the Army Reserve in 2008. At the time of his military retirement, Judge Shakes was the Commander and Chief Trial Judge of the military judges of the Army Reserve. Judge Shakes currently serves on the faculty of the National Judicial College, and teaches part-time at the University of Denver School of Law. He is also involved in a number of volunteer organizations.
The Commission met with Judge Shakes for a personal interview, observed him in the courtroom, and reviewed his self-evaluation, survey results and a number of the Judge’s written opinions. Judge Shakes current docket includes civil cases, domestic relations cases, and criminal cases. Additionally, Judge Shakes presides over the Fourth Judicial District Veterans Trauma Court. Attorneys, non-attorneys, and jurors responded to a survey about Judge Shakes. Among the 45 attorneys who responded to the survey, 79% thought Judge Shakes met performance standards, 10% thought he did not meet performance standards, and 12% had no opinion. Of the 48 non-attorneys who responded to the survey, 88% thought Judge Shakes met performance standards, 8% thought he did not meet performance standards, and 4% had no opinion.
According to both the attorneys and non-attorneys who responded to the survey of Judge Shakes’ performance, Judge Shakes scored higher than average in all major areas. In reporting his strengths, reoccurring themes from both the attorneys and non-attorneys were that Judge Shakes is patient, respectful, courteous, and organized. As to weaknesses, respondents noted that matters could proceed more quickly in his courtroom. The Commission observes that in the courtroom, Judge Shakes proceeds in a neutral but formal manner. At his interview with the Commission, Judge Shakes expressed his strong commitment to the law, and his work as an El Paso County District Judge, and stated that he was continuously working to better serve those who appear before him. The Commission believes that Judge Shakes is a hard-working outstanding judge who is highly knowledgeable and a principled public servant. He appears to be fair to lawyers and litigants, carefully ruling on the merits of the disputes that come before him. The Commission believes that Judge Shakes meets performance standards and should be retained as a District Court Judge.