2026 retention · District Court · 18th Judicial District
99 percentile · rank 1 of 65
composite 0100
98 percentile · rank 2 of 108
composite 0100
23 38th percentile among peers · 41st percentile statewide
1054
Composite index 94.36 among peers (93.52 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.80 of 4 · 99.23 percentile
2.103.80
3.82 of 4 · 99.23 percentile
2.073.82
100.00% 84.62 percentile
25.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.80median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.70median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Communications | 3.90median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Diligence | 3.80median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Demeanor | 3.90median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 3.80median 3.10 | 3.10 |
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | 3.90 | 3.70 | 3.60 | 3.50 | 3.70 | 3.40 |
| Responses | 39 | 31 | 25 | 28 | 22 | 18 |
Commission: meets standards (8–0)
The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance agrees by a vote of 8-0, with one member absent and one vacancy on the Commission, that Judge Michelle Ann Amico MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance and service to the legal profession and the public.
Judge Amico serves as a District Court Judge presiding over civil, probate and criminal matters and she is also the Chief Judge of the district. After meeting with Judge Amico, reviewing her work, and assessing feedback from attorneys and non-attorneys, the Commission was unanimous that Judge Amico meets judicial performance standards. All of Judge Amico’s work is exceptional and she consistently exceeds performance standards. Judge Amico treats everyone who appears before her with dignity, respect and impartiality. Her courtroom is reflective of the personable yet dignified image she projects. She manages her courtroom efficiently, is always prepared, affords participants opportunity to be heard and applies procedural rules and legal standards consistently, promoting fairness and predictability. Judge Amico has a strong grasp of the law and issues understandable and well-reasoned rulings. Judge Amico is described as a tremendous leader who leads by example, and the Commission commends her ability to balance her judicial duties and vast administrative responsibilities while maintaining a high bar of excellence. Based on these findings, the Commission recommends Judge Amico meets performance standards and should be retained.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Amico, reviewed opinions she authored, observed her in court, reviewed comments received from interested parties during the evaluation, and reviewed survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who had experience with Judge Amico. Attorney and non-attorney respondents, although low in response numbers, found no performance issues in any evaluation criteria. This was consistent with the Commission’s overall findings.
Judge Amico was appointed to the District Court bench in 2012. Prior to her appointment, Judge Amico served as a Deputy District Attorney and Chief Deputy District Attorney in Denver. In July 2018, Judge Amico was appointed Chief Judge of the 18th Judicial District. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Arizona in 1989 and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 1993. Judge Amico is a strong proponent of mentoring, community service and furthering judicial education. She volunteers her time with community organizations whose causes she is passionate about, such as the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and Be The Reason Charities; volunteers annually for high school mock trial competitions and Bring Your Kids to Work Day; is the Dean of New Judge Orientation and sits on numerous statewide committees. Judge Amico was honored by the Colorado Judicial Institute as the 2022 District Court Judge of the Year and was the recipient of the Colorado Judicial Branch’s Excellence in Leadership Award in 2025.
2020 retention · District Court · 18th Judicial District
94 percentile · rank 4 of 59
composite 0100
93 percentile · rank 7 of 100
composite 0100
47 71st percentile among peers · 79th percentile statewide
1488
Composite index 93.50 among peers (92.17 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.90 of 4 · 98.31 percentile
2.203.90
3.87 of 4 · 96.61 percentile
2.423.88
95.00% 85.59 percentile
39.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 95.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.80median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.80median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Communications | 3.80median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Diligence | 3.90median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Demeanor | 3.90median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Fairness | 4.00median 4.00 | 4.00 |
Commission: meets standards (9–0)
The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 9-0, with one Commissioner absent from voting, that Chief Judge Michelle Ann Amico MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
In addition to her administrative responsibilities for the 18th Judicial District, Chief Judge Amico presides over a full criminal and probate (including mental health) docket. Chief Judge Amico was assigned a post-conviction death penalty case in 2016, which significantly added to her workload. Chief Judge Amico’s demeanor is described as compassionate, pleasant, patient and respectful. She is known as fair and works hard to prepare for her cases. She has strong organizational and leadership skills. Relevant stakeholders commented Chief Judge Amico is collaborative on courthouse management issues and committed to ensuring equal access to justice for everyone involved in the judicial process. She has maintained steadfast leadership of the largest judicial district in the State of Colorado during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her oral and written rulings are clear and concise. C hief Judge Amico stays current on the law by reviewing opinions issued by the Colorado Court of Appeals and the Colorado Supreme Court on a weekly basis. Overall, the commission commends Chief Judge Amico for her hard-work. Based on these findings, the Commission agreed Chief Judge Amico meets performance standards.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Chief Judge Amico, reviewed opinions she authored, observed her in court, reviewed judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys as well as interviewed members of the District Attorneys, Probation, and Public Defenders departments. The surveys reflected personal opinions on Chief Judge Amico’s Case Management, Application and Knowledge of the Law, Communications, Diligence, Demeanor and Fairness. Of the forty-seven (47) completed surveys returned, Chief Judge Amico achieved an overall performance rating of 3.9 out of a possible 4.0. Her ratings for meeting performance standards from attorneys was 95% and 100% from non-attorneys.
Chief Judge Amico was appointed to the District Court bench in 2012 and was appointed Chief Judge in July 2018. She earned her B.A. from the University of Arizona (1989) and her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law (1993). Prior to her appointment, Chief Judge Amico served as a Deputy District Attorney and Chief Deputy District Attorney in Denver. Chief Judge Amico actively engages in community service. She volunteers yearly in judging high school mock trial court competitions and is a member of the Arapahoe County Bar Association. She has been a long-time volunteer of both the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the Catholic Charities’ annual drive helping families in need. Chief Judge Amico is a strong proponent of furthering judicial education and often mentors judicial officers. She has taught new judges and teaches at Judicial Conference, Advanced New Judge Orientation and statewide training for Probation Officers.