William Culver
County Court · Otero County · retention evaluations: 2026
2026 retention · County Court · Otero County
83 percentile · rank 6 of 36
composite 0100
80 percentile · rank 22 of 108
composite 0100
17 29th percentile among peers · 21st percentile statewide
1060
Composite index 76.85 among peers (74.69 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.40 of 4 · 70.83 percentile
1.903.80
3.37 of 4 · 70.83 percentile
1.873.75
100.00% 88.89 percentile
0.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 80.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.30median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.40median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Communications | 3.60median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Diligence | 3.30median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Demeanor | 3.50median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 3.10median 3.10 | 3.10 |
Commission: meets standards (8–0)
The Sixteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance agrees by a vote of 8-0, with one commissioner abstaining and one commission vacancy, that Judge William Culver MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Culver presides over civil, criminal advisements, misdemeanors, traffic, and small claims matters in Otero County, Colorado. Judge Culver’s demeanor is described as, patient, fair, and understanding of people in the court room. Judge Culver has excellent docket control, consistently prepared for his hearings and executes exceptional oral and written orders. Commission members observed these qualities during their evaluation and interview. Based on these findings, the Commission agreed that Judge Culver meets performance standards.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Culver, interviewed both the Public Defender and District Attorney, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court, reviewed a self-evaluation, and reviewed judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who had appeared before him. Although only 17 surveys were completed for Judge Culver, the Commission determined that the remaining sources provided a sufficient basis to issue this opinion.
Judge Culver has been appointed to the County Court since 2024. Before becoming a County Court Judge, Judge Culver was the elected district attorney for the 16th Judicial District. Prior to 2012, Judge Culver was a solo practitioner and focused on complex divorce proceedings and criminal defense. Judge Culver also litigated dependency and neglect cases, juvenile delinquency cases, civil cases and provided consultation in probate matters. Judge Culver graduated from Emory University School of Law in 1995 with a juris doctorate and Fort Hays State University in 1992 with a BA. Judge Culver is a member of the Colorado Bar, the Bar of the United States District Court for Colorado and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.