Denver County Court

Becoming a Judicial Officer

Denver County Court Judges are appointed through a merit selection process by a bipartisan nominating commission which interviews candidates and makes a recommendation to the Mayor of Denver. The Mayor appoints a Judge from the recommended nominees to serve a provisional two-year term. After the two year provisional term, the Judges must stand for retention election to serve a full four year term and then face retention elections every four years.

The qualifications to be a Judge in Denver County Court are outlined in Section 4.1.1 of the Denver City Charter. “Each County Judge shall be a qualified elector of the City and County of Denver, be licensed as an attorney at law in the State of Colorado, and have a minimum of five years’ experience as a licensed practicing attorney.”

Denver County Court Judges must retire at the end of the term during which they reach age 72.