Robert A. Rand
Robert A. Rand was a judge for the Larimer County Court in Larimer County, Colorado.[1] He was appointed to the court in September 2009 and resigned from the bench on March 31, 2014.[2] Rand had been suspended, with pay, since July 2013.[3]
Education
Rand received his undergraduate and J.D. degrees from Florida State University.[2]
Career
- 2009-2014: Judge, Larimer County Court
- 2002-2009: Attorney in private practice (Colorado)
- 1988-2002: Attorney in private practice (Florida)
- 1980-1988: Prosecutor, Florida State Attorney's Office[4][2]
Noteworthy events
Rand agrees to resign to avoid misconduct charges
For more than six months, Colorado state court officials were unable to tell the public, Larimer County court officials or state legislators why Rand was placed on paid leave beginning July 3, 2013. Other judges, hired to stand in for Rand, were paid as much as $425 a day to serve in his absence.[5]
However, Rand's decision to resign, March 31, 2014, made the matter public. According to records, which were released following Rand's resignation, the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline began investigating Rand's behavior after a complaint was received from employees at the Larimer County courthouse. The commission noted there was a pattern of misconduct which could interfere with the administration of justice in the county and have a negative affect on the public's confidence in the judiciary, both violations of Colorado's Code of Judicial Conduct.
The commission indicated Rand refused to recognize his behavior was upsetting and offensive to people. He also failed to realize that due to his position of authority, most people felt they could not risk offending him by complaining. According to the commission's complaint against Rand,
| “ | Another female private attorney stated that Judge Rand consistently commented on her clothes, hair style and how lovely she looked. . . [but] because she is in a small community and because her clients are in such precarious positions, she cannot risk angering him by complaining about his conduct. . .[3][6] | ” |
In an interview published in The Coloradoan, Rand indicated,
| “ | Nothing I ever did was meant badly. I thought people would take my meaning and not react badly to it.[3][6] | ” |
However, the Larimer County District Attorney's Office stopped assigning female attorneys to appear in Rand's court due to his alleged inappropriate conduct.[3]
Rand was censured by the Colorado Supreme Court. His agreement to resign ended the commission's investigation into the complaints of misconduct and allowed Rand to avoid a hearing on misconduct charges. Rand continued to be paid until his resignation took effect. He said he planned to move to California.[3]
Elections
2012
Rand was retained to the Larimer County Court in the general election on November 6, winning 74.06 percent of the vote.[7]
- See also: Colorado judicial elections, 2012
Judicial performance evaluation
The Eighth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance announced its recommendations for judges up for retention in 2012. According to its website, the commission evaluated judges based on the following criteria: integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament and administrative performance.[8]
Some critics of the state's method for evaluating judges say they are simply "rubber stamps" for judges standing for retention.[9] In 2012, Rand was recommended for retention by an unanimous vote.[2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ State of Colorado Judicial Branch, "Larimer County Judges and Staff" (dead link) see the "County Judge" tab
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, "Robert A. Rand"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 coloradoan.com, "Suspended Larimer County judge to resign following censure," February 10, 2014
- ↑ The Denver Post, "Larimer County judge resigns after discipline investigation," February 10, 2014
- ↑ coloradoan.com, "Court staff rebuff lawmakers' inquiry into judge's absence," January 15, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "2012 Official General Election Results"
- ↑ Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, "Judicial Performance Fact Sheet," accessed December 9, 2015
- ↑ The Denver Post, "Evaluating the performance of justices," February 15, 2010.
Federal courts:
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Colorado • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Colorado
State courts:
Colorado Supreme Court • Colorado Court of Appeals • Colorado District Courts • Colorado County Courts • Denver Probate Court • Denver Juvenile Court • Colorado Municipal Courts • Colorado Water Courts
State resources:
Courts in Colorado • Colorado judicial elections • Judicial selection in Colorado
