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Colorado 17th Judicial District

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The Colorado 17th Judicial District resides in Colorado. It serves Adams and Broomfield counties.[1] Click on the links below to learn more about the court's...

Jurisdiction

This court holds the following jurisdiction:[2]

District courts are Colorado’s trial courts of general jurisdiction. They handle divorce and custody cases, civil cases, juvenile cases, probate and criminal cases.[3]

Judges


Office Name Party Date assumed office
Colorado 17th Judicial District Caryn Datz September 28, 2018
Colorado 17th Judicial District Sean Finn February 13, 2018
Colorado 17th Judicial District Sharon Holbrook October 17, 2016
Colorado 17th Judicial District Robert W. Kiesnowski
Colorado 17th Judicial District Emily Lieberman August 15, 2020
Colorado 17th Judicial District Priscilla Loew May 31, 2017
Colorado 17th Judicial District Michal A. Lord-Blegen June 7, 2025
Colorado 17th Judicial District Brett Martin Nonpartisan January 13, 2021
Colorado 17th Judicial District Patrick Pugh Nonpartisan July 1, 2019
Colorado 17th Judicial District Roberto Ramirez
Colorado 17th Judicial District Kyle Seedorf Nonpartisan January 1, 2020
Colorado 17th Judicial District Jeffrey Smith Nonpartisan July 16, 2019
Colorado 17th Judicial District Teri Vasquez Nonpartisan January 23, 2021
Colorado 17th Judicial District Mark D. Warner
Colorado 17th Judicial District Vacant
Colorado 17th Judicial District Vacant


Elections

Colorado is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. To learn more about judicial selection in Colorado, click here.

Selection method

See also: Judicial selection in the states
See also: Assisted appointment

There are 164 judges on the Colorado District Courts, each appointed by the governor from a list of names compiled by a nominating commission. Initial terms last at least two years, after which judges must stand for retention in a yes-no election. Subsequent terms last six years.[4]

The court's chief judge is appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court to serve indefinitely.[4]

Qualifications
To serve on the district court, a judge must be:[4]

  • a qualified elector in the district;
  • licensed to practice law in state for five years; and
  • under the age of 72 (retirement by 72 is mandatory).

Judicial elections in Colorado

See also: Colorado judicial elections

Colorado is one of six states that use retention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench without using another type of election as an initial selection method. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.

Retention election

Judges in Colorado stand for retention at the end of each term. These elections are held during the November general election in even-numbered years. In retention elections, judges do not compete against another candidate, but voters are given a "yes" or "no" choice whether to keep the justice in office for another term.

See also



External links

Footnotes