D. Cory Jackson
District Court · 7th Judicial District · retention evaluations: 2026
2026 retention · District Court · 7th Judicial District
16 percentile · rank 55 of 65
composite 0100
13 percentile · rank 94 of 108
composite 0100
28 60th percentile among peers · 64th percentile statewide
1054
Composite index 23.85 among peers (21.91 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
2.70 of 4 · 15.38 percentile
2.103.80
2.67 of 4 · 13.85 percentile
2.073.82
81.00% 42.31 percentile
25.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 81.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 36.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 2.60median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 2.40median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Communications | 2.90median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Diligence | 2.60median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Demeanor | 2.80median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 2.70median 3.10 | 3.10 |
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | 3.40 | 3.50 | 3.60 | 3.10 | 3.20 | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Responses | 51 | 15 | 44 | 50 | 44 | 33 | 28 |
Commission: meets standards (9–0)
The Seventh Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance, by a vote of 9-0, with one Commission vacancy, finds Judge D. Cory Jackson MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
The Commission on Judicial Performance evaluates judges on six standards: legal knowledge, communication, administrative performance, integrity, judicial temperament, and service to the legal profession. Judge Jackson satisfies all six criteria. To evaluate the judge's performance, the Commission observed him in court, reviewed opinions and orders, considered his self-evaluation, and reviewed survey responses prepared by both attorneys and pro se citizens who have appeared in his court. In addition, the Commission interviewed Judge Jackson, the District Attorney, and the Head of the Public Defenders.
While Judge Jackson’s docket consists of a variety of legal matters, he presides primarily over civil cases and juvenile matters. The Commission finds Judge Jackson to be well prepared and sensitive to the needs of all court participants. He works diligently to apply the law in each case before him. This judge is passionate about his profession, stating he finds time to serve as a member of the Colorado Pattern Civil Jury Instructions Committee, the Security Cash Fund commission, and the Statewide Panel on Consolidated Multidistrict Litigation. He conducts his courtroom in a moderate and balanced manner. The commissioners were impressed with Judge Jackson’s energy in managing his varied work responsibilities.
Judge Jackson was appointed District Judge for Colorado's Seventh Judicial District in 2017. He was appointed Chief Judge in 2024. As Chief, he is the administrative head of all district and county courts in the Seventh Judicial District. Before his appointment to the District Court, Judge Jackson served as Ouray County Court Judge and as Municipal Judge for Ouray, Ridgway and Telluride. Judge Jackson received his law degree from the University of Colorado Law School in 2005. His Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in economics is from Colorado College.