Jeremy Chaffin
District Court · 21st Judicial District · retention evaluations: 2026
2026 retention · District Court · 21st Judicial District
43 percentile · rank 37 of 65
composite 0100
39 percentile · rank 66 of 108
composite 0100
30 72nd percentile among peers · 75th percentile statewide
1054
Composite index 43.59 among peers (41.98 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
2.90 of 4 · 23.85 percentile
2.103.80
2.83 of 4 · 22.31 percentile
2.073.82
100.00% 84.62 percentile
25.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 57.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 2.90median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 2.80median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Communications | 2.90median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Diligence | 2.90median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Demeanor | 2.80median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 2.70median 3.10 | 3.10 |
| Year | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | 2.90 | 3.60 | 3.40 |
| Responses | 9 | 18 | 22 |
Commission: meets standards (7–0)
The Twenty-First Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance finds that Judge Jeremy Chaffin MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS by a vote of 7-0. The Commission has one vacancy, one absent commissioner, and one recusal. The Commission considered multiple sources of information, including survey results, courtroom observations, interviews, the judge’s self-evaluation, and case management data. Survey results indicated that 100% of attorneys found Judge Chaffin meets performance standards, while non-attorney responses were more mixed; the Commission considered these results in the context of all available information.
The judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public. The Commission finds that Judge Chaffin demonstrates excellent legal knowledge and applies the law appropriately in the cases before him. Judge Chaffin is consistently well prepared, and issues prompt well-reasoned rulings grounded in law and fact. Judge Chaffin’s hard work and integrity are noted by both prosecutors and defense attorneys. The Commission has directly observed Judge Chaffin’s noteworthy dedication to the legal profession, ability to manage complex matters effectively while maintaining appropriate control over the courtroom proceedings, and timely issuance of orders moving cases forward in a timely and orderly manner.
The Commission also finds that Judge Chaffin exhibits a judicial temperament that is fair, respectful, compassionate, and professional. He treats parties, attorneys, litigants, and court staff with dignity, values their time, and actively works to solve problems humanely and creatively. Based on the totality of the information reviewed, the Commission determined that Judge Chaffin is an asset to the Mesa County Judicial system and consistently demonstrates the competencies required of a judicial officer.
Judge Chaffin received an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Idaho in 2005 and earned his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law in 2011. He worked as a Special Assistant Attorney General at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office in the Consumer Protection Section before clerking for Judge Nancy Lichtenstein at the Colorado Court of Appeals. In 2014 he moved to Grand Junction where he worked as a prosecutor with the 21st Judicial District until 2017. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he worked as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Colorado prosecuting federal crimes throughout western Colorado. Judge Chaffin was sworn in as a District Court Judge in the 21st Judicial District in December 2022.