Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Stephen J. Schapanski
Stephen J. Schapanski is a former chief judge for the Eighth Judicial District in Colorado. The Eighth Judicial District serves Jackson and Larimer counties. He was appointed to the court by former Governor Bill Ritter on June 29, 2007. Schapanski was appointed chief judge of the Eighth Judicial District on August 1, 2009.[1] He was retained in 2010 to a six-year term.[2][3] Schapanski retired from the court on January 10, 2017.[4]
Education
Schapanski graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor's degree in 1971. He then received his J.D. from the Valparaiso University School of Law in 1974.[1]
Career
Schapanski worked as a private practice lawyer in Fort Collins, Colorado, from 1974 to 1993. He then served as a magistrate for the Eighth Judicial District until his appointment as a district court judge in 2007.[1]
Elections
2010
- Main article: Colorado judicial elections, 2010
Schapanski was retained to the Eighth Judicial District with 68.25% of the vote in 2010.[3][5]
Retention recommendation
In 2010, Schapanski was recommended for retention by the Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation.[6]
- Read the performance review here.
Noteworthy cases
Balloon boy
Schapanski issued the ruling in the "balloon boy" hoax. The case was against a father, Richard Heene, who in October of 2009 falsely reported his six-year-old son was aloft in an escaped balloon. Judge Schapanski sentenced Heene to 90 days divided between jail time and work release. Mayumi Heene, the wife in the case, was sentenced to 20 days in jail. Her sentence did not begin until the husband had served his time, to ensure that their children would have a parent at home.[7]
Man who stabbed brother gets probation
In November 2012, Schapanski sentenced a Fort Collins man, Bryce Evans, to five years of probation for the stabbing death of Evans's brother, Andrew Evans. In February 2012, Bryce Evans stabbed Andrew Evans multiple times in the chest and was charged with second-degree murder.
After hearing emotional pleas from Evans's supporters, Schapanski determined that Evans was not a threat to the community, appeared to be a good person, and that the Evans family should not have to suffer any further.[8]
Both prosecution and defense agreed that an altercation ensued between the brothers whereby Bryce had confronted Andrew about some missing personal items. Wounds to Andrew's chest were inflicted by a three-and-a-half-inch double-edged knife that was later found in Bryce's car. Chief Deputy District Attorney Mitch Murray stated: “I don’t think he intended to kill his brother. It was at the very least a reckless act. It wasn’t an accident.”[8]
Schapanski, described the supervised probation as intensive, structured, and as adequate punishment. Bryce Evans had no previous criminal record. He apologized and hopes to contribute to the community and help his family.[8]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Colorado Judicial Branch, "Stephen J. Schapanski - 8th Judicial District Chief Judge," accessed October 27, 2014
- ↑ Colorado district courts
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "Official Colorado 2010 Election Results - Cumulative Report"
- ↑ Coloradoan, "Two new judges appointed to Larimer County bench," September 15, 2016
- ↑ Law Week Colorado, "Judicial Retention: Sheet 1," July 30, 2010
- ↑ State of Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, "Honorable Stephen J. Schapanski," 2010
- ↑ CNN, "'Balloon boy' parents sentenced for hoax," December 23, 2009
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Coloradoan.com, "Fort Collins man avoids prison, gets probation in brother's homicide," November 30, 2012
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
