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Colorado Judicial Branch
Mary J. Mullarkey, Chief Justice
Gerald Marroney, State Court Administrator
______
Dec. 8, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:Karen Salaz
303/837-3633
1-800-888-0001 Ext. 633
Whitman recognized by Colorado Judicial Branch for accomplishments
DENVER, Colo.–Account Clerk/Collections Supervisor Shairan Whitman, Nineteenth Judicial District, is the recipient of the Colorado Judicial Branch’sDistinguished Special Achievement Award. The award recognizes exemplary performance by an employee far beyond normal expectations in the Colorado Judicial System in addition to a second set of criteria that specifically evaluates the effectiveness, efficiency, or economy of the Colorado Judicial System operations.
The Colorado Judicial Department annually recognizes a handful of outstanding employees who are singled out for their exemplary work contributing to the high quality of service provided throughout the state’s 22 judicial districts making up the Colorado judicial system. This is the seventeenth year of the recognition and incentive program.
Whitman has been a judicial branch employee for the past 14 years. In addition to serving as the accounting clerk and collections unit supervisor, she is also the law librarian, mailroom clerk and assists in the administration office.
“Shairan is perceived by her peers to be a hardworking, dedicated individual, who gives more than 100 percent on the job and to programs that she believes are worthwhile,” writes District Court Judge J. Robert Lowenbach, Nineteenth Judicial District, in his nomination of Whitman for the award. “Because of her continued efforts to educate the public regarding the court system in WeldCounty, Shairan has made it easier for the public to understand how the system works, thus decreasing the public’s fear of the process and consequently improving working condition for the employees.”
Last year Whitman produced and directed a play held at the Weld County Courthouse. “The Trial of W.D. French” was a mock trial based upon an actual murder that occurred in 1888.
Whitman wrote the various parts for the actors; held casting auditions and rehearsals; made all of the 1880’s costumes; wrote and produced all of the fliers, posters and performance brochures; and promoted the play through newspapers. Members of the local acting and legal communities assisted in the endeavor.
“The trial was an overwhelming success,” remarks Lowenbach. “Seating was limited in the courtroom and over 120 people were turned away the night of the performance.”
Because of the overwhelming success of the play, an encore performance was held later in the year.
“Suffice it to say that Shairan spent hundreds of hours and went to a great deal of personal expense to provide what turned out to be one of the best examples of public education this community has ever been a part of,” adds Lowenbach.
The Colorado State Judicial Branch includes the state’s county and district courts, Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. A total of 2,848* judicial employees including 257 judges and justices work to resolve cases in a fair, timely manner and ensure that probationers are supervised appropriately. In Fiscal Year 2004, 514,096 cases were filed statewide at the county court level, 177,369 in district court, 1,285 in water court, 2,558 in the Court of Appeals, and 1,317 in the Supreme Court. The number of total active adult probation cases was 39,207. There were 7,869 active juvenile cases.
* This is the total Full Time Equivalent (FTE) allocated in the Judicial Branch. One FTE in some cases is divided between two or more people.
Editor’s Note: The Nineteenth Judicial District includes WeldCounty.
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