Jacob A. Edson
District Court · 18th Judicial District · retention evaluations: 2026
2026 retention · District Court · 18th Judicial District
56 percentile · rank 29 of 65
composite 0100
50 percentile · rank 54 of 108
composite 0100
27 55th percentile among peers · 59th percentile statewide
1054
Composite index 55.13 among peers (50.77 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.20 of 4 · 56.15 percentile
2.103.80
3.22 of 4 · 54.62 percentile
2.073.82
86.00% 54.62 percentile
25.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 86.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 75.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.10median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.20median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Communications | 3.30median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Diligence | 3.10median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Demeanor | 3.40median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 3.20median 3.10 | 3.10 |
| Year | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | 3.30 | 3.50 |
| Responses | 19 | 25 |
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 Jacob A. Edson MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The Colorado statutory judicial performance criteria are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance and service to the legal profession and the public.
After meeting with Judge Edson and after reviewing his prior work and assessing feedback from attorneys and non-attorneys, the Commission was unanimous that Judge Edson meets judicial performance standards. Judge Edson has received praise for his demeanor, application of the law, communications and case management. Judge Edson is described as calm, diligent, kind, courteous and respectful. While a limited handful of respondents shared that Judge Edson’s records at times are a little lengthy, Judge Edson’s surveys reveal that he is viewed as thorough, hard-working, and unbiased. The Commission concluded that Judge Edson’s knowledge base is well above average. Based on the review considerations, the Judicial Performance Commission recommends that Judge Edson meets performance standards and should be retained.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Edson, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court, reviewed comments from interested parties during the evaluation, and reviewed survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who had experience with Judge Edson. Attorney and non-attorney respondents, although low in response numbers, found no performance issues in any performance criteria. This was consistent with the Commission’s overall findings.
Judge Edson was appointed to the bench on July 1, 2023, by Governor Jared Polis. He previously served as a Magistrate in the 18th Judicial District; Chief Deputy District Attorney; Senior Deputy District Attorney; and Deputy District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Judge Edson earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University in 1997, a Master of Business Administration degree from Colorado State University in 1999, a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2002, and Master of Criminal Justice degree from the University of Colorado-Denver in 2012. Judge Edson has been a mock trial coach for a local high school and has volunteered as a presiding judge or scoring panelist for high school mock trials here in Arapahoe County for the past two decades. He is an active or past member and participant in the Colorado Bar Association, the Arapahoe County Bar Association and Justice Sonia Sotomayor Inn of Court. In his spare time, Judge Edson is often found driving his three children to their sporting and social events and attending their local church.