2026 retention · District Court · 23rd Judicial District
11 percentile · rank 58 of 65
composite 0100
12 percentile · rank 95 of 108
composite 0100
22 34th percentile among peers · 38th percentile statewide
1054
Composite index 20.77 among peers (19.75 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
2.60 of 4 · 9.23 percentile
2.103.80
2.60 of 4 · 8.46 percentile
2.073.82
82.00% 44.62 percentile
25.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 82.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 60.00%
| 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 | 2.50median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Communications | 2.70median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Diligence | 2.60median 3.10 | 3.10 | |
| Demeanor | 2.70median 3.30 | 3.30 | |
| Fairness | 2.50median 3.10 | 3.10 |
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | 3.50 | 3.40 | 3.20 | 2.80 | 2.60 | 2.40 |
| Responses | 25 | 32 | 46 | 45 | 29 | 22 |
Commission: meets standards
The Twenty-Third Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 70, with one commissioner absent and two commission vacancies, that Judge Theresa Slade 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 Slade presides over a mixed docket in Elbert County and, during her current term, has served in Douglas, Arapahoe, and Elbert Counties, where she managed a broad range of case types including criminal, civil, domestic relations, juvenile, mental health, and probate matters as her assignments shifted over time. She demonstrates a professional and respectful courtroom demeanor and conducts proceedings in a manner that promotes order and clarity. She is able to address complex, sensitive, and emotionally difficult issues with care and precision. Her written decisions are generally clear, concise, and well reasoned. Judge Slade is a diligent judicial officer who manages a demanding docket and remains attentive to changes in the law and courtroom practice. She applies her legal knowledge and experience to ensure that matters are handled efficiently and appropriately. Commission members observed these qualities during their evaluation and interview. Her opinions reflect a structured approach to legal analysis and a clear communication style. Based on these findings the Commission unanimously agreed that Judge Slade meets performance standards.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Slade, reviewed opinions she authored, observed her in court, and reviewed judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non attorneys who had interaction in Judge Slade’s court. Among the survey questions was: “Based on your responses to the previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Slade meets judicial performance standards?” Of the attorneys responding, 82% answered yes; and 18% answered no. Of the non attorneys responding, 60% answered yes and 40% answered no. A total of twelve attorneys and ten non attorneys responded to the judicial performance surveys expressing their opinion of Judge Slade.
Judge Slade was appointed to the District Court in August 2012. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Before joining the bench, she practiced in the 18th Judicial District as a Deputy District Attorney, Alternate Defense Counsel, Respondent Parent Counsel, and Guardian ad Litem, and she also served as a municipal and magistrate judge. She previously owned and operated Slade & Associates, where she practiced criminal and juvenile defense and represented parents and children in dependency and neglect matters. During her judicial career, Judge Slade has served on statewide and local committees, including the Colorado Supreme Court Juvenile Rules Committee, the Colorado Victims Assistance (COVA) Board, the Colorado Restorative Justice Committee, and the Elbert County Community Management Board. She has volunteered extensively, including presenting legal education programs, coaching high school mock trial teams, participating in Constitution Day presentations, speaking in schools, and assisting with CASA volunteer training.
2020 retention · District Court · 18th Judicial District
61 percentile · rank 23 of 59
composite 0100
65 percentile · rank 35 of 100
composite 0100
25 18th percentile among peers · 28th percentile statewide
1488
Composite index 59.89 among peers (60.17 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.50 of 4 · 56.78 percentile
2.203.90
3.55 of 4 · 54.24 percentile
2.423.88
89.00% 68.64 percentile
39.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 89.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
| Category | Score | Peer median | Peer range (dot is this judge, line is the median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Management | 3.30median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Application and Knowledge of Law | 3.50median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Communications | 3.50median 3.50 | 3.50 | |
| Diligence | 3.40median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Demeanor | 3.60median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Fairness | 4.00median 4.00 | 4.00 |
Commission: meets standards (9–0)
The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 9-0, with one Commissioner absent from voting, that Judge Theresa Michelle Slade MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, and judicial temperament are strong areas for Judge Slade. Judge Slade is currently assigned to a dedicated criminal docket but has presided over every case type during her past term. She has good knowledge of the law for every docket type and is able to actively manage all docket types. As the Presiding Judge in Douglas County she has additional administrative duties, including providing support for other judicial officers and staff, communicating with stakeholders, and managing day to day operations in the Douglas County Combined Courts. She works well with and is of help to other officers in the 18th judicial. Her peers speak highly of her organizational skills and her judicial demeanor. During the Covid-19 restrictions Judge Slade has been especially resourceful in handling unusual situations. Based on these findings the Commission unanimously agreed that Judge Slade meets performance standards.
The Judicial Performance Review Commission met with members of the District Attorney’s office, Public Defender’s Office, Probation Office, and the Chief Judge for feedback on Judge Slade’s performance. A personal interview with Judge Slade was held with the Commission and Commission members observed her during court proceedings and the Commission reviewed judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys. The surveys reflected personal opinions on Judge Slade’s Case Management, Application and Knowledge of the Law, Communications, Diligence, Demeanor and Fairness. The few surveys received for Judge Slade consistently reflect higher than average performance with a perfect 4.0 Fairness rating and an overall performance rating of 3.5 out of a possible 4.0, compared to all District Judges at a rating of 3.4. Comments received regarding Judge Slade were all positive with Eighty-nine percent of responding attorneys and 100% of non-attorneys responding stated Judge Slade meets performance standards.
Prior to service in court, Judge Theresa Slade was the owner of Slade and Associates. She served as a Deputy District Attorney, Alternate Defense Counsel, court appointed Respondent Parent Counsel, Guardian ad Litem, and as a municipal and magistrate judge, all in the 18th Judicial District. She was appointed as a District Judge in August, 2012 and was retained by voters in 2014. During her term, the Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court appointed Judge Slade to serve on the Alternate Dispute Resolution Rules Committee, and most recently to the Juvenile Rules Committee. She regularly volunteers to present legal education to practicing lawyers, law students, and community members. She also coaches teams for the high school mock trial program, presents at middle and high schools statewide for Constitution Day, and serves on local educational and school safety committees. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Colorado State University and her JD from the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver.