2026 retention · District Court · 12th Judicial District
80 percentile · rank 13 of 65
composite 0100
76 percentile · rank 26 of 108
composite 0100
18 21st percentile among peers · 24th percentile statewide
1054
Composite index 74.62 among peers (70.37 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.30 of 4 · 67.69 percentile
2.103.80
3.35 of 4 · 71.54 percentile
2.073.82
100.00% 84.62 percentile
25.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 89.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.40median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.30median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Communications | 3.40median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Diligence | 3.30median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Demeanor | 3.30median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 3.40median 3.10 | 3.10 |
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | 3.80 | 3.90 | 3.60 | 3.70 | 3.60 | 3.40 |
| Responses | 14 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 25 |
Commission: meets standards (6–0)
The Twelfth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (6-0), with two commission vacancies and two commissioners absent, finds that Judge Michael A. Gonzales MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The performance standards contemplate the judge’s integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Judge Gonzales handles criminal, civil, juvenile and misdemeanor cases. In making its recommendation, the Commission reviewed surveys from attorneys and non-attorneys, including litigants, jurors, and others who have appeared before Judge Gonzales during the retention period. The Commission also reviewed Judge Gonzales’s self-evaluation and samples of his written work. Finally, the commissioners observed Judge Gonzales’s courtroom and conducted a personal interview. Of the attorneys responding, 100% agreed that Judge Gonzales meets performance standards. Of the non-attorney respondents to the survey, 89% agreed that Judge Gonzales meets performance standards.
The Commission felt that Judge Gonzales’s overall performance as a district court judge was well above the required standards. Surveys sent out by the Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation rate judges in categories of case management, application and knowledge of law, communication, diligence, demeanor, and fairness. The results of the surveys demonstrated that of all the judges in the 12th Judicial District up for review, his scores were consistently some of the highest in the District. This demonstrates Judge Gonzales’s commitment to self-improvement and ability to effectively communicate with the public. Judge Gonzales’s written and oral decisions are thorough, concise, and communicated efficiently. There were no concerns from the Commission regarding fairness or bias on the part of Judge Gonzales towards any party. The Commission observed Judge Gonzales's sincere dedication to his community and his aspiration to foster a deeper public understanding that the Court and the judiciary remain integral, accessible parts of that community.
Judge Gonzales took the district court bench in October 2011 and served as Chief Judge from January 2020 to July 2023. Prior to his appointment to the district court bench, Judge Gonzales served as a deputy district attorney for the 12th Judicial District for ten years before becoming the Alamosa County Court judge. Judge Gonzales received a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Creighton University in 1993. He graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1996. Off the bench, Judge Gonzales has been involved in coaching local youth sports, served on the board of directors for the Caring for Colorado Foundation from 2010 to 2016, and in 2022 he was appointed to the board of directors for the Robert Hoag Rawlings Foundation.
2020 retention · District Court · 12th Judicial District
97 percentile · rank 2 of 59
composite 0100
96 percentile · rank 4 of 100
composite 0100
14 0th percentile among peers · 10th percentile statewide
1488
Composite index 94.92 among peers (94.00 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.80 of 4 · 90.68 percentile
2.203.90
3.87 of 4 · 96.61 percentile
2.423.88
100.00% 97.46 percentile
39.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.80median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.80median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Communications | 4.00median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Diligence | 3.90median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Demeanor | 3.70median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Fairness | 4.00median 4.00 | 4.00 |
Commission: meets standards (7–0)
The Twelfth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees (7-0) that Chief Judge Michael A. Gonzales MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
In making its recommendation, the Commission reviewed surveys from attorneys and non-attorneys, including litigants, jurors, and others who have appeared before Judge Gonzales during the retention period. The Commission also reviewed Judge Gonzales’ self-evaluation and samples of his written work. Finally, the commissioners observed Judge Gonzales’ courtroom and conducted a personal interview. Of the attorneys responding, 100% agreed that Judge Gonzales meets performance standards. Of the non-attorney respondents to the survey, 100% agreed that Judge Gonzales meets performance standards.
The Commission felt that Chief Judge Gonzales’ overall performance as a district court judge was outstanding. Surveys sent out by the Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation rate judges in categories of case management, application and knowledge of law, communication, diligence, demeanor, and fairness. The results of the surveys answered scored Chief Judge Gonzales above the statewide district judge averages in all areas. Chief Judge Gonzales’ written and oral decisions are thorough, concise, and communicated efficiently. There were no concerns from the Commission regarding fairness or bias on the part of Judge Gonzales towards any party. That is the area in which Chief Judge Gonzales was rated the highest in the surveys returned. The Commission recognized the unique challenges that Judge Gonzales has had to address with the recent COVID 19 pandemic and managing the district court dockets with two fairly new appointed district court judges. The Commission commended Chief Judge Gonzales’ dedication and hard work he has put forth for the 12th Judicial District.
Chief Judge Gonzales took the district court bench in October 2011 and was appointed Chief Judge January 2020. Prior to his appointment to the district court, Chief Judge Gonzales was the Alamosa County Court judge. Chief Judge Gonzales was also a deputy district attorney for the 12th Judicial District for ten years prior to becoming the Alamosa County Court judge. Chief Judge Gonzales received a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Creighton University in 1993. He graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1996. Chief Judge Gonzales has been involved in local youth sports and has served on the board of directors for the Caring for Colorado Foundation since 2010.