Charlotte A. Ankeny

Commission: meets standards (7–0)

The Fourth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance voted 7-0 with three absent that Judge Charlotte A. Ankeny MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

Judge Ankeny’s docket consists of 90% criminal and 10% civil cases. These cases are divided into 55% misdemeanor and 45% traffic. By all accounts, Judge Ankeny has performed exceedingly well as a county court judge. She has an excellent judicial temperament, consistently being recognized as professional, fair, well-organized, and efficient. She is acknowledged as a good teacher to new attorneys, helping them grow in the profession. She issues her decisions in a timely fashion. She has a strong knowledge of the law and very good communication skills. She ensures that the people who appear in her courtroom – regardless of whether they are attorneys, non-attorney litigants, witnesses, defendants, victims, or others – are treated with courtesy and respect. She follows the law and, when necessary, explains to non-attorneys why the law might require a certain outcome. She stays on top of her docket through efficient case management and giving herself deadlines so that orders are issued timely.

The Commission evaluated her performance by observing her in court, reading samples of her orders, reviewing surveys submitted by attorneys and non-attorneys who had appeared in her courtroom, reviewing her self-evaluation, and conducting an in-person interview with her. During that interview, the Commission confirmed that she had filed all her financial disclosures on time and that she had no disciplinary issues. The Commission also discussed with Judge Ankeny her appellate record, which has no reversals. In addition, the Commission heard comments on Judge Ankeny’s performance from the District Attorney, Public Defender, and Chief Judge of the Fourth Judicial District. On the 2024 Judicial Performance Survey, survey invites were sent to 663 attorneys and non-attorneys, but only 20 of them responded. That response rate of merely 3% makes the surveys statistically invalid. Of the responders, all but one believed Judge Ankeny met performance standards. She received a combined score of 3.5 out of 4.0.

Judge Ankeny has served as a county court judge since August 2022. Before taking the bench, she was the Supervising Deputy State Public Defender. She worked as a state deputy public defender for sixteen years from 2006-2022. She earned her B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2002 and her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2006. Judge Ankeny serves her community by volunteering as a track coach, speaking to local elementary, middle, and high school students during courthouse tours, and being engaged in community involvement through her church.

State evaluation page · 2024 survey report (PDF)