Too often, the culture of justice revolves around two parties: the prosecution and the defense. Under Colorado law, however, there is a third stakeholder, the victims of crime, who have equal rights to justice as the individuals who stand accused of those crimes.
Judge Karolyn Moore (Denver Post file)
Recently, the Judicial Performance Commission issued a negative evaluation of Judge Karolyn Moore, who serves in Boulder County Court. Unfortunately, the commission made this decision, and many other judicial evaluations, without meaningfully soliciting or considering the views of victims.
Thatap because the system is set up to favor attorney surveys without victim input beyond indirect feedback from prosecutors. An “inadvertent” flaw resulted in no prosecution surveys and 91 criminal defense attorney surveys.
Judge Moore had the highest approval of any Boulder judge among non-lawyers, with 90 percent recommending retention. She has a record of upholding victims’ rights. This inadvertent silencing of prosecutors has tragically muzzled the voice of victims.
Pamela Maass, Denver
The writer is legal director of the Rocky Mountain Victim Law Center.
This letter was published in the Oct. 17 edition.
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