2026 retention · County Court · Denver County
The state did not publish a 2026 survey report: too few responses. This evaluation is not ranked.
Commission: meets standards (5–0)
The Denver County Court Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 5-0 that Judge Judith Smith MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The Colorado statutory judicial performance criteria are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Judge Smith is upbeat and approachable and creates a positive and cordial atmosphere in her courtroom. She is a true problem solver and has frequently shown a willingness to explore novel solutions. In her courtroom, she uses plain language, shows empathy and ensures that everyone has the opportunity to be heard. She speaks directly with litigants and takes the time to ensure that people in her courtroom understand the reasoning behind her decisions. She is a legal scholar and is often sought out by colleagues for her advice and expertise. Judge Smith has a strong understanding of technology and was instrumental in the court’s recent transition to a comprehensive web-based system that increases efficiency across the court, allows for real-time note entry and reduces the use of paper. Judge Smith has a reputation for her intelligence, work ethic and positivity.
In evaluating Judge Smith, the commission did extensive live, livestream and recorded courtroom observations, conducted a personal interview with the judicial officer, and reviewed case management data and the judicial officer self-evaluation, with supporting documents when submitted, to inform its decision for meets/does not meet performance standards.
Judge Smith was appointed to the Denver County Court in September 2018. She serves on Court committees for information technology, judicial retention and appeals index. Prior to her appointment, Judge Smith spent 14 years as an assistant United States attorney for the District of Colorado where she led the special prosecutions section and established the cybercrime and national security section. Before that, she was a Denver deputy district attorney where she specialized in juvenile prosecutions. She began her career in private practice with a global law firm and also clerked for a federal judge in the 10th Circuit Court. Her memberships include the Colorado Women’s Bar Association and the Colorado LGBTQ+ Bar Association. Judge Smith earned her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder and her Master of Laws degree from Columbia Law School.
2022 retention · County Court · Denver County
88 percentile · rank 7 of 59
composite 0100
93 percentile · rank 9 of 134
composite 0100
16 19th percentile among peers · 9th percentile statewide
4108
Composite index 87.29 among peers (92.54 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.80 of 4 · 89.83 percentile
2.503.90
3.77 of 4 · 85.59 percentile
2.453.93
100.00% 86.44 percentile
50.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 100.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 86.00%
| 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 | 3.70median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Communications | 3.80median 3.70 | 3.70 | |
| Diligence | 3.80median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Demeanor | 3.90median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Fairness | 3.60median 3.50 | 3.50 |
Commission: meets standards (9–0)
The Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance agrees by a vote of 9-0, with one Commissioner absent from voting, that Judge Judith Smith MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Smith presides over criminal cases. Judge Smith excels in all aspects of the performance criteria and writes in a clear, concise, and well-reasoned manner. The Commission was impressed by Judge Smith’s demeanor, diligence, and case management. The Commission commends Judge Smith on her commitment to increasing efficiency across the courts by leveraging technology. The Commission did not identify any evaluation category in which Judge Smith displayed a notable weakness.
The Commission met with the Presiding Judge of Denver County Court to discuss her interactions with Judge Smith, as well as with members of the Public Defender’s Office and Probation Department to discuss their impressions of Judge Smith’s performance. The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Smith, observed her during court proceedings and reviewed decisions she authored, case management data, comments received from interested parties, and judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non- attorneys that self-reported they had sufficient interaction with Judge Smith in the courtroom to meaningfully respond. The surveys reflected personal opinions on Judge Smith’s Case Management, Application and Knowledge of the Law, Communications, Diligence, Demeanor, and Fairness. Of the eight attorneys and eight non-attorneys who completed the survey and reported they had sufficient knowledge of Judge Smith’s performance to evaluate her, 100% of the attorneys and 86% of the non-attorneys believe that she meets performance standards. Judge Smith’s combined (attorney and non-attorney) survey scores are substantially above average for county court judges in the categories of Case Management, Application and Knowledge of Law, Communications, Diligence, Demeanor, and Fairness. The comments from attorneys and non-attorneys about Judge Smith’s performance were nearly all positive. As a result of procedural irregularities in the distribution of these surveys, the response rates for the 2022 survey were not as robust as compared to prior evaluation cycles. While the Commission used these survey results in its evaluation, limited weight was given to these survey results and the results were used in conjunction with several other tools to evaluate her performance. All data reviewed by the Commission supports the recommendation that Judge Smith be retained.
Mayor Hancock appointed Judge Smith in September 2018. Judge Smith earned her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Colorado and her LL.M from Columbia Law School. Prior to her appointment, Judge Smith was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, serving as the Chief of Cybercrime and National Security Section for the District. Judge Smith spends time volunteering with Freedom Service Dogs and JFK Partners for Autism.