2026 retention · District Court · 1st Judicial District
2 percentile · rank 64 of 65
composite 0100
3 percentile · rank 105 of 108
composite 0100
42 83rd percentile among peers · 87th percentile statewide
1054
Composite index 6.41 among peers (6.79 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
2.60 of 4 · 9.23 percentile
2.103.80
2.55 of 4 · 4.62 percentile
2.073.82
50.00% 5.38 percentile
25.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 50.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 72.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 2.70median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 2.40median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Communications | 2.60median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Diligence | 2.50median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Demeanor | 2.60median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 2.50median 3.10 | 3.10 |
| Year | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | 3.20 | 3.30 |
| Responses | 24 | 24 |
Commission: meets standards (10–0)
The First Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (10-0) finds Judge Chantel E. Contiguglia MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Contiguglia was appointed to the District Court in Jefferson County on January 1, 2024. She presides over a mixed docket of criminal, civil and domestic relations matters. Judge Contiguglia has been described as prepared, fair, consistent, and respectful with good judicial demeanor and temperament. She is thoughtful and sets clear deadlines and expectations. Her case management was described as efficient; however it was noted her scheduling practices could be inflexible for trial and docket management, which has been perceived by some litigants to overlook practical needs of the parties. During her interim evaluation Judge Contiguglia was given this feedback and since that time, there has been improvement. Judge Contiguglia’s background is predominantly criminal defense work, which is reflected in her acumen with criminal law. Judge Contiguglia is committed to increasing her proficiency in civil and domestic relations law by seeking out colleagues with this expertise and attending continuing legal education in these areas. The Commission finds Judge Contiguglia meets performance standards and is pleased she has committed to increasing her proficiency in civil and domestic relations law.
The commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Contiguglia, reviewed orders she authored, observed her in court, reviewed the judicial performance survey responses from attorneys, non-attorneys, jurors and court staff, and received feedback from the chief judge of the 1st Judicial District, the Office of the District Attorney, and the Office of the State Public Defender. There was a limited number of survey responses for this evaluation period. Five appellate court judges responded to the survey and rated Judge Contiguglia high (4.0 out of 4.0).
Judge Contiguglia grew up in Walden, Colorado, a small town in Jackson County. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Mesa State College and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver in 2006. Before her current appointment, she served as a County Court Judge in Arapahoe County for six years. Prior to that Judge Contiguglia spent over ten years with the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office. In addition to her public responsibilities, she remains committed to community service, frequently volunteering at local schools, mentoring young attorneys, and participating in programs that support access to justice.
2020 retention · County Court · Arapahoe County
64 percentile · rank 13 of 37
composite 0100
57 percentile · rank 43 of 100
composite 0100
37 79th percentile among peers · 62nd percentile statewide
380
Composite index 57.21 among peers (54.83 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.50 of 4 · 58.11 percentile
1.504.00
3.57 of 4 · 60.81 percentile
1.503.95
86.00% 52.70 percentile
0.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 86.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 77.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.40median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.50median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Communications | 3.70median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Diligence | 3.50median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Demeanor | 3.70median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Fairness | 3.60median 3.90 | 3.90 |
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 Judge Chantel E. Contiguglia MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Contiguglia presides over a county court docket that is 90% criminal (45% misdemeanor and 45% traffic), 5% civil and 5% small claims. Judge Contiguglia’s demeanor is described as warm and personable, as well as respectful and patient with all parties. She is dignified and fair while maintaining a professional decorum in the courtroom. She is well prepared, is an excellent communicator and possesses a strong knowledge of the law, which she often uses to teach new attorneys. She is prompt in her rulings and both her oral and written decisions are clear and concise. Docket and case management challenges, especially setting too many cases for trial on the same day, is the only concern for the commission. The commission recommends that Judge Contiguglia review her docket and case management processes with respect to this issue. Judge Contiguglia stays current on the law by reviewing the Colorado Court of Appeals and the Colorado Supreme Court decisions weekly. She also sends opinions on to her colleagues when she finds information relevant to their areas of expertise. Based on these findings the Commission agrees that Judge Chantel E. Contiguglia meets performance standards.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Contiguglia, reviewed opinions she authored, observed her in court and reviewed judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys. The commission also interviewed the District Attorneys, Probation, Public Defenders and the Chief Judge. The surveys reflected personal opinions on Judge Contiguglia’s Case Management, Application and Knowledge of the Law, Communications, Diligence, Demeanor and Fairness. Of the thirty-seven (37) completed surveys returned, Judge Contiguglia achieved an overall performance rating of 3.5 out of a possible 4.0, compared to all County Court Judges at a rating of 3.4. Her ratings for meeting performance standards from attorneys was 86% and 77% from non-attorneys. A total of twenty-three (23) attorneys and fourteen (14) non-attorneys responded to the judicial performance surveys expressing their opinion of Judge Contiguglia.
Chantel E. Contiguglia was appointed to the Arapahoe County Court in August 2018. She earned her B.A. from Mesa State College in 2002 and her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Contiguglia worked as a Senior Deputy Public Defender at the Office of the State Public Defender in Golden, Colorado from 2007-2018, prior to her appointment to the bench. She handled felonies as well as traffic, misdemeanor and juvenile cases and supervised other public defenders. Judge Contiguglia has volunteered in mock trial competitions over the past two years she has been on the bench. She also taught for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) program hosted in Boulder, CO for the Rocky Mountain Building a Trial Skill Program.