2026 retention · District Court · 17th Judicial District
86 percentile · rank 9 of 65
composite 0100
85 percentile · rank 16 of 108
composite 0100
44 87th percentile among peers · 90th percentile statewide
1054
Composite index 83.33 among peers (80.86 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.70 of 4 · 97.69 percentile
2.103.80
3.75 of 4 · 97.69 percentile
2.073.82
86.00% 54.62 percentile
25.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 86.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 97.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.80median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.70median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Communications | 3.80median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Diligence | 3.70median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Demeanor | 3.80median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 3.70median 3.10 | 3.10 |
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | 3.50 | 3.60 | 3.50 | 3.40 | 3.50 | 3.70 | 3.50 |
| Responses | 29 | 27 | 35 | 45 | 59 | 39 | 46 |
Commission: meets standards Split vote 7–1
The Seventeenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance agrees by a vote of 7 to 1, with two commissioners absent, that Judge Sean Patrick Finn MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Finn is widely regarded as a highly knowledgeable and intellectually rigorous jurist. Attorneys and judicial colleagues consistently described him as well prepared, efficient, and very familiar with the law. The Commission found notable strengths in legal knowledge, administrative performance, and courtroom management. Judge Finn maintains an efficient docket, communicates clear expectations to counsel, and is recognized for his command of courtroom procedure and the law. He is also active in legal education, teaching judges, and attorneys throughout Colorado.
The Commission evaluated Judge Finn through courtroom observation, review of selected written decisions, survey responses (which, as with many judicial evaluations, were limited, with 44 total responses including 7 attorney responses), interviews with Judge Finn, the Chief Judge of the 17th Judicial District, and representatives from both the Public Defender’s Office and District Attorney’s Office, judicial performance data, and Judge Finn’s self-evaluation. The Commission found that Judge Finn demonstrates professionalism and a commitment to the judicial role. At the same time, some members of the Commission identified concerns relating to Judge Finn’s interaction with attorneys that warrant continued attention. The Commission discussed these matters directly with Judge Finn and it believes that increased sensitivity to how all participants experience proceedings in his courtroom will further enhance confidence in his fairness, impartiality, and professionalism.
Judge Finn has served as a District Court Judge in the 17th Judicial District, serving Adams and Broomfield Counties, since his appointment in 2018 by Governor John Hickenlooper. During this evaluation term, he presided over civil, domestic relations, juvenile, mental health, and criminal matters. Before joining the bench, Judge Finn served as a Senior Deputy District Attorney in Adams and Broomfield Counties and as Chief Trial Deputy and Chief Appellate Deputy in Boulder County. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and his law degree from Loyola Law School and remains active in legal education and professional training statewide.
2020 retention · District Court · 17th Judicial District
73 percentile · rank 16 of 59
composite 0100
73 percentile · rank 27 of 100
composite 0100
27 27th percentile among peers · 33rd percentile statewide
1488
Composite index 70.34 among peers (69.00 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.60 of 4 · 73.73 percentile
2.203.90
3.66 of 4 · 77.12 percentile
2.423.88
88.00% 60.17 percentile
39.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 88.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 92.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.60median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.50median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Communications | 3.70median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Diligence | 3.70median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Demeanor | 3.80median 3.60 | 3.60 |
Commission: meets standards (8–0)
The Seventeenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (8-0) finds that Judge Sean Patrick Finn MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. Two Commission members did not participate in the voting.
The Commission based its findings on a review of the judge’s writings, a WebEx interview with him, and a review of the results of a survey of attorneys and non-attorneys who have appeared before him conducted by the state Office of Judicial Performance. The ratings are based on a scale of (1) – poor, through (4) – excellent. Judge Finn’s ratings are consistently high, and are, in each category, at or above the average score for District Court Judges statewide. He earned, for example, a 3.7 score for “Providing written communications that are clear, thorough and well-reasoned,” a 3.8 for “Giving the proceedings a sense of dignity,” and a 4.0 for “Treating participants with respect.”
Eighty-eight percent of attorney respondents to the survey agreed with the 17th District Judicial Performance Commission’s finding that Judge Finn meets performance standards. The results of those surveys demonstrate that members of the legal community and the general public hold him in high esteem because of his professionalism and compassionate demeanor. Many of the people surveyed commented specifically on Judge Finn’s even temperament and his knowledge of the law.
In addition to his work on the bench, Judge Finn continues to teach as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Colorado School of Law, where he has taught Evidence and Criminal Procedure, and is scheduled to teach Trial Advocacy in the fall. He also regularly conducts legal trainings throughout Colorado including, in 2020, a course on Effective Lawyering with WebEx, the on-line platform used by attorneys to appear remotely in his courtroom. Prior to his appointment to the District Court, Judge Finn worked for commercial law firms in Los Angeles and Denver, and as a law clerk for a judge on the Colorado Court of Appeals. He also served as Senior Deputy District Attorney in Adams and Broomfield Counties, and as Chief Trial Deputy in the Boulder District Attorney's Office. Judge Finn received his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and his law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, CA. His current docket consists of 100% criminal work.