Thirteen vacancies exist across Colorado’s 22 judicial districts on the citizen-led commissions that nominate judges for appointment.

Under the state’s system for hiring judges, seven-person panels with a mixture of attorneys and non-attorneys solicit applications, screen candidates and ultimately select three potential judges for the governor’s review. The governor then has 15 days to fill the vacant judgeship with one of the finalists. (Denver County Court is the exception.)

As of Thursday, there are three districts with an open county or district court judgeship. The application period for the seat of Chief Justice Nathan B. Coats is also ongoing, but a separate state commission handles such appointments.

The districts (and their counties) in which there are vacancies are:

Second Judicial District (Denver): one non-attorney vacancy.

Seventh Judicial District (Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel): one attorney vacancy. Candidates must reside in Ouray County.

Ninth Judicial District (Garfield, Rio Blanco, and Pitkin): one non-attorney vacancy. Candidates must reside in Rio Blanco County.  

11th Judicial District (Chaffee, Custer, Fremont and Park): three attorney vacancies. 

12th Judicial District (Saguache, Mineral, Rio Grande, Alamosa, Conejos, and Costilla): one non-attorney vacancy. Candidates must reside in Conejos County.

15th Judicial District (Cheyenne, Kiowa, Prowers, and Baca): one non-attorney vacancy.

17th Judicial District (Adams and Broomfield): one non-attorney vacancy.

19th Judicial District (Weld): one attorney vacancy. 

20th Judicial District (Boulder): two non-attorney vacancies. 

22nd Judicial District (Montezuma Dolores): one non-attorney vacancy.

The application to apply is here.