Judge Simonet was appointed to the Denver County Court bench by Mayor Michael B. Hancock and was sworn in on September 29, 2017. Judge Simonet earned her law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington and her undergraduate degree from San Diego State University. Judge Simonet is a Denver native.
Prior to her appointment, Judge Simonet was a district court magistrate in the 17th Judicial District for almost four years where she presided over juvenile, domestic, traffic, civil and criminal cases as well as presided over two problem solving court programs in juvenile court. In 2016 she was awarded the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children) Judicial Officer of the Year. Before serving as a magistrate, Judge Simonet ran a busy and successful sole practice for ten years, focused primarily on criminal defense in both state and federal court. Judge Simonet began her legal career as a deputy state public defender in the Adams County regional office where she tried over 50 jury trials during her tenure in that office.
Judge Simonet serves on two Colorado Supreme Court committees; the Juvenile Rules Committee and the Judicial Education Committee. She has served as faculty for new judge orientation through the State Court Administrative Office, the Colorado Judicial Dependency and Neglect Institute, Colorado Judicial Conference, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar and the Alternate Defense Counsel Trial Advocacy Training. She volunteers for mock trial competitions and student congressional hearings in various Denver Public Schools. Prior to her appointment to the Denver County Court Bench, Judge Simonet was also a member of the Denver Sheriff Department Citizen Advisory Board and the Adams County Human Trafficking Task Force.