2026 retention · County Court · El Paso County
93 percentile · rank 3 of 36
composite 0100
93 percentile · rank 7 of 108
composite 0100
19 41st percentile among peers · 28th percentile statewide
1060
Composite index 92.13 among peers (89.81 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.70 of 4 · 94.44 percentile
1.903.80
3.68 of 4 · 93.06 percentile
1.873.75
100.00% 88.89 percentile
0.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 94.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.60median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.60median 3.20 | 3.20 | |
| Communications | 3.80median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Diligence | 3.70median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Demeanor | 3.70median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 3.70median 3.10 | 3.10 |
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | 2.90 | 3.20 | 3.50 | 3.70 | 3.00 | 3.60 |
| Responses | 20 | 26 | 39 | 43 | 19 | 17 |
Commission: meets standards (10–0)
The Fourth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (10-0) agrees that El Paso County Court Judge Meredith Patrick Cord MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Patrick Cord’s docket is 90% criminal and 10% civil cases. Her criminal cases are misdemeanors, approximately 65% of which are traffic and DUI cases. She is consistently described as knowledgeable, well-prepared, patient, and fair, and her written opinions reflect a careful command of the law. She maintains written case management orders, meets regularly with the attorneys assigned to her courtroom to build consistency amid high attorney turnover, and prepares her dockets a week in advance so that every matter receives appropriate attention. In her Commission interview, Judge Patrick Cord described keeping a note on her bench that reads, “This may be the most important day in this person’s life,” a philosophy Commissioners witnessed her honor firsthand, including in her patient and inclusive approach to the approximately 10 percent of her litigants who require Spanish-language interpretation. Judge Patrick Cord’s overall combined performance score on the 2026 Judicial Performance Survey was 3.7 out of 4.0, which is above average for County Court judges in the Fourth Judicial District. Her highest-rated category was communication at 3.8; diligence, demeanor, and fairness each scored 3.7; and case management and knowledge and application of law each scored 3.6. Although the Survey results are statistically invalid due to low response rate, 18 of 19 responders believe that Judge Patrick Cord meets or exceeds judicial performance standards. Judge Patrick Cord works hard to enhance public confidence in the judiciary. The Commission believes Judge Patrick Cord is a true asset to the Fourth Judicial District.
The Commission interviewed Judge Patrick Cord, observed her in court, reviewed her self-evaluation, written opinions, judicial performance data, comments from attorneys and non-attorneys, and the judicial performance survey results from 2026, which included 19 completed survey responses (2 attorneys and 17 non-attorneys). The Commission also spoke with the Chief Judge and representatives of the District Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office, all of whom reported positively on her performance.
Judge Patrick Cord was appointed to the County Court bench in January 2019. Before her appointment, she served as a District Court Magistrate in Colorado Springs for more than four years, handling domestic relations and child support matters. Prior to joining the bench, she was a shareholder at Johnson & Cord, P.C. practicing family law; she also served as an associate attorney at Kane, Donley and Johnson and the Marrison Law Firm, and as a prosecutor with the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Judge Patrick Cord received her undergraduate degree from Ohio State University and her law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2001. She serves on the Board of Directors of Court Care for the Pikes Peak Region and was recently appointed to the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline.
2022 retention · County Court · El Paso County
36 percentile · rank 38 of 59
composite 0100
55 percentile · rank 60 of 134
composite 0100
42 52nd percentile among peers · 41st percentile statewide
4108
Composite index 40.40 among peers (52.86 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.50 of 4 · 42.37 percentile
2.503.90
3.50 of 4 · 40.68 percentile
2.453.93
88.00% 38.14 percentile
50.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 88.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 95.00%
| 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 | 3.50median 3.70 | 3.70 | |
| Diligence | 3.50median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Demeanor | 3.50median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Fairness | 3.40median 3.50 | 3.50 |
Commission: meets standards (5–0)
The Fourth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance voted 5-0 with 5 absent that Judge Meredith Patrick Cord 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 Patrick Cord’s docket includes 90% criminal and 10% civil. Judge Patrick Cord always maintains a professional judicial demeanor, and she is extremely intelligent. She is described as knowledgeable, courteous, patient, dignified, and steady. She displays a strong work ethic and is always prepared for court. Judge Patrick Cord treats attorneys and non-attorneys with respect, and she is empathetic with persons appearing in her courtroom. Judge Patrick Cord works diligently to learn how to be an outstanding judge and how to improve her judicial performance. She communicates clearly when speaking from the bench, and she has strong legal writing skills. Judge Patrick Cord’s integrity is faultless. Her overall combined performance score on the 2022 Judicial Performance Survey was 3.5 out of 4.0, which was higher than the average score of 3.4 for all County Court Judges. 88% of the responding attorneys and 95% of non-attorneys believe that Judge Patrick Cord meets judicial performance standards. Judge Cord received strong marks in the survey such as 3.6 for case management, 3.5 for application and knowledge of law, 3.5 for communication, 3.5 for demeanor, and 3.4 for fairness. The Commission observed Judge Patrick Cord in court and found her to be the model of steadiness, as well as professional, knowledgeable, courteous, patient, and efficient. The Commission believes Judge Patrick Cord is a true asset to the community.
In evaluating the performance of Judge Patrick Cord, the Commission considered the results of her 2022 Judicial Performance Survey, which was compiled based on 42 completed surveys (18 attorneys and 24 non-attorneys). The Commission interviewed the chief judge, a representative of the District Attorney’s Office and the lead Public Defender about Judge Patrick Cord. Numerous members of the Commission observed Judge Patrick Cord in court, and the Commission interviewed Judge Patrick Cord. The Commission also considered Judge Patrick Cord’s self-evaluation and written opinions.
Judge Patrick Cord was appointed to the El Paso County Court in January 2019. Prior to her appointment, she served as a District Court Magistrate in Colorado Springs for over four years handling domestic relations and child support matters. Before taking the bench, Judge Patrick Cord was a shareholder with the law firm Johnson & Cord, P.C. practicing family law. She was an associate attorney at Kane, Donley, and Johnson and the Marrison Law Firm. She was also a prosecutor with the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Judge Patrick Cord serves the community by volunteering with non-profit and other professional organizations.