Opinion ID: 1219144
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether the Trial Court's Rulings were Objective

Text: AWDI asserts that the trial court's rulings were not properly objective. In support of its position, AWDI cites a number of pretrial motions on which the trial court ruled in favor of the objectors by entering precisely the form of order proposed by them. AWDI also points out that the decree entered by the trial court was virtually identical to the objectors' proposed decree. Adoption of a prevailing party's proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law is not necessarily improper. [F]indings, if otherwise sufficient, are not weakened or discredited because given in the form submitted by counsel. Uptime Corp. v. Colorado Research Corp., 161 Colo. 87, 93, 420 P.2d 232, 235 (1966). Even those courts that condemn the uncritical adoption of findings prepared by the prevailing party are unwilling to reverse unless the findings themselves are inadequate. Id. at 92, 420 P.2d at 235. On appeal, the court will assume that the trial judge examined the proposed findings and agreed that they correctly stated the facts as he himself found them to be; otherwise, he would not have adopted them as his own. It is only when the findings themselves are inadequate and do not indicate the basis for the trial court's decision that the judgment will be reversed. Id. at 93, 420 P.2d at 235 (citations omitted). The findings are sufficient and indicate the basis for the trial court's decisions. Therefore, they will be sustained despite the fact that the trial judge adopted the language of the prevailing party's proposed findings and conclusions as his own.