2026 retention · County Court · Boulder County
26 percentile · rank 27 of 36
composite 0100
27 percentile · rank 79 of 108
composite 0100
29 79th percentile among peers · 71st percentile statewide
1060
Composite index 33.33 among peers (31.02 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.00 of 4 · 31.94 percentile
1.903.80
3.02 of 4 · 34.72 percentile
1.873.75
75.00% 33.33 percentile
0.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 75.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 77.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.20median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 2.80median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Communications | 3.10median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Diligence | 3.00median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Demeanor | 3.20median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 2.80median 3.10 | 3.10 |
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | 3.60 | 3.50 | 3.60 | 3.40 | 2.90 | 3.20 |
| Responses | 40 | 57 | 60 | 46 | 39 | 22 |
Commission: meets standards (10–0)
The Twentieth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance, by a vote of 10-0, finds that Judge Zachary Ilya Malkinson MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Malkinson presides over traffic, misdemeanor, civil, criminal, and small claims cases in the 20th Judicial District in Boulder, CO. His judicial temperament is engaged, respectful, and even-tempered. His courtroom is well managed and efficient. His decisions are thoughtful and well-reasoned, reflecting careful consideration of the issues and a strong command of the law. His written rulings and communication from the bench are clear and professional. Judge Malkinson is well-prepared and effectively balances the tension between managing his docket efficiently and giving each case the time that it requires. Survey results show that both attorneys and non-attorneys appreciate his understanding and application of the law, and the effort that he makes to explain it in his rulings.
The Judicial Performance Commission evaluates judges on six standards: legal knowledge, communication, administrative performance, integrity, judicial temperament, and service to the legal profession. To evaluate Judge Malkinson’s performance the Commission observed him in court, reviewed opinions he authored, considered his self-evaluation, held a public meeting to invite comments, and reviewed responses to a survey distributed to all persons who have appeared in his court. The Commission also conducted personal interviews with Judge Malkinson, the District Attorney, and a representative of the Boulder defense bar.
Judge Malkinson was appointed to the County Court bench in January 2019. Prior to his appointment, he practiced as a partner in two Boulder law firms and as a solo practitioner where his law practice focused on criminal defense. Before entering private practice, Judge Malkinson was a trial attorney for the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office in Oakland, CA. Judge Malkinson attended Boulder High School, earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa, and received his law degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) in 2001. He participates annually in the Colorado High School Mock Trial competitions, where he was the presiding judge for the February 2025 and 2026 sessions, speaks at Boulder County Bar Association events, and serves on the planning committee for the annual Judicial Conference.
2022 retention · County Court · Boulder County
66 percentile · rank 20 of 59
composite 0100
77 percentile · rank 30 of 134
composite 0100
63 85th percentile among peers · 79th percentile statewide
4108
Composite index 66.10 among peers (75.75 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.60 of 4 · 63.56 percentile
2.503.90
3.67 of 4 · 76.27 percentile
2.453.93
94.00% 58.47 percentile
50.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 94.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 91.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.70median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.50median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Communications | 3.80median 3.70 | 3.70 | |
| Diligence | 3.70median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Demeanor | 3.70median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Fairness | 3.60median 3.50 | 3.50 |
Commission: meets standards (10–0)
The 20 th Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 10-0 that Judge Zachary Ilya Malkinson MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Judge Malkinson presides over traffic, misdemeanor, civil, criminal, and small claims cases in the 20 th Judicial District in Boulder, CO. His judicial temperament is decisive, even-tempered, and respectful. His courtroom is well managed and efficient. His legal decisions reflect consideration and an understanding of the law. His written rulings and communication from the bench are clear and professional. Judge Malkinson is well-prepared, keeping an efficient docket so cases move rapidly, yet allowing the time needed in each case. Survey results show that both attorneys and non-attorneys appreciate that he gives each side the time to be heard. In response to the Covid crisis, Judge Malkinson updated court procedures to keep them in compliance with changes in the law and Chief Judge Bakke adopted and issued his recommendations as administrative orders. He works regularly to improve his own articulation of the law applied in his cases.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Malkinson, reviewed opinions he authored, observed his performance in court, and reviewed judicial performance survey responses from both attorneys and non-attorneys who participated in Judge Malkinson’s court proceedings. The Commission also received comments on Judge Malkinson’s performance from the district attorney and representatives of the defense bar and hosted a public hearing, allowing citizens any additional input regarding his performance as a judge.
Judge Malkinson was appointed to the County Court bench in January 2019. He was raised in Boulder and attended Boulder High School. He previously practiced as a partner in the Boulder law firms Malkinson, Salomone and Malkinson Wheeler, and as a solo practitioner with the Law Office of Zachary Malkinson. His law practice focused on criminal defense, where he represented clients charged with cases ranging from traffic offenses to homicide. Before entering private practice, Judge Malkinson was a trial attorney for the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office in Oakland, CA. Judge Malkinson earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2001.