2026 retention · County Court · Adams County
The state did not publish a 2026 survey report: too few responses. This evaluation is not ranked.
Commission: meets standards (8–0)
The Seventeenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 8-0, with two commissioners absent, that Judge MaryAnn “Mariana” Vielma MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Vielma presides over criminal, misdemeanor, and traffic matters in County Court for the 17th Judicial District of Colorado. Judge Vielma’s demeanor is respectful, professional, dignified, and fair. She brings clarity and answers to confusing, and often emotional and difficult issues. Her written decisions are clear, concise, and well-written. Judge Vielma is an extremely hard worker and is dedicated to being the best county court judge she can be for her community. Commission members observed these qualities during their evaluation and interview. Judge Vielma’s written opinions reflect her knowledge of the law and common-sense communication style. Based on these findings, the Commission unanimously agreed that Judge Mariana Vielma meets performance standards.
In reviewing Judge Vielma’s judicial performance, the Commission conducted interviews with members of both the District Attorneys’ Office and the Public Defenders’ Office, conducted a personal interview with Judge Vielma, reviewed legal opinions she authored, and observed her in court. There were an insufficient number of judicial performance survey responses regarding Judge Vielma, and so, according to the judicial performance review policies, none were reviewed. During this term, Judge Vielma received the 2023 Judicial Excellence Award from the Colorado Judicial Institute.
Judge Vielma was appointed to the County Court in July 2020. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at El Paso, and her law degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Prior to her appointment, she served as a magistrate, an Assistant County Attorney, Senior Deputy District Attorney, and District Court Law Clerk. She has been and is currently a leader in the legal profession and community, serving on boards or committees of the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, Diversity on the Bench Coalition, and the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline. Judge Vielma received the Judicial Excellence Award from the Colorado Judicial Institute in 2023. She is an active member of the Adams/Broomfield Bar Association, the 17th Judicial District Access to Justice Committee, and the Colorado Bar Association Leadership Training Program.
2022 retention · County Court · Adams County
65 percentile · rank 21 of 59
composite 0100
75 percentile · rank 33 of 134
composite 0100
38 44th percentile among peers · 33rd percentile statewide
4108
Composite index 62.43 among peers (72.14 statewide): the mean of the three percentiles below. Rank orders by it.
3.60 of 4 · 63.56 percentile
2.503.90
3.58 of 4 · 57.63 percentile
2.453.93
95.00% 66.10 percentile
50.00%100.00%
Attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 95.00%
Non-attorneys
- Say “meets standards”
- 58.00%
| 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 | 3.40median 3.40 | 3.40 | |
| Communications | 3.70median 3.70 | 3.70 | |
| Diligence | 3.60median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Demeanor | 3.70median 3.60 | 3.60 | |
| Fairness | 3.50median 3.50 | 3.50 |
Commission: meets standards (9–0)
The 17 th Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees (9-0) Judge MaryAnn "Mariana" Vielma MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS of integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public. The Commission conducted a personal interview, read a selection of her legal opinions, observed her in court, reviewed her judicial performance survey report, interviewed the District Attorney and head of the Public Defenders’ office, and reviewed her self-evaluation. Of the surveys sent, responses were received by 39 attorneys and 17 non-attorneys. A total of 38 individuals completed surveys with at least a single rating question answered.
Judge Vielma was appointed on July 17, 2020, after serving two years as a magistrate in Adams County. Her docket is 25% criminal misdemeanor, 65% traffic (including DUI/DWAI), and 10% felony (pleas/sentencing/legacy docket). She received a 95% rating among attorneys for meeting performance standards, and also received above-average marks on case management, application and knowledge of law, diligence, demeanor, and communication skills. Observations of Judge Vielma by the Commission during hearings showed that she has an exceptional judicial temperament even when dealing with difficult situations. She did, however, score below average in the survey responses from non-lawyers on making the reasoning behind her rulings known and, on her willingness, to make decisions without regard to possible outside pressure. There was also a notable difference in how she was perceived, in some survey areas, by attorneys as contrasted with non-attorneys. This raises concern that non-attorneys appearing before her may not fully understand court proceedings.
The Commission recognizes that there may be multiple reasons for the survey differences between the perceptions of attorneys and non-attorneys, including that Judge Vielma has only served on the County Court Bench since July of 2020. The Commission believes that some of the differences between the perceptions of attorneys and non-attorneys is due to the nature of the County Court docket she is handling and that the positive qualities identified in her surveys will address the concerns of non-attorneys going forward. In her self-evaluation, Judge Vielma indicated that since being appointed to the Bench she has engaged in extensive study which the Commission believes will be of benefit in future rulings. During her interview Judge Vielma spoke of her involvement in the community and informed the Commission of her 2022 Colorado Women’s Bar Association Judicial Excellence Award. The Commission believes this award was well deserved and reflects her standing in the community. Her willingness to pursue continued education and accept constructive criticism during her interview from the Commission positively reflect on her service to the legal profession and her integrity as a judge.
Judge Vielma is a 2009 graduate of the Colorado Bar Association Leadership Training program. She is a native of Denver and earned her J.D. from the University of St. Thomas School of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at El Paso. Prior to becoming a magistrate, she was an Assistant County Attorney and a Sr. Deputy District Attorney in the 17 th Judicial District.