Presiding Judge, Denver Juvenile Court (Second Judicial District (Denver), Denver Juvenile Court)

Elizabeth Joan McCarthy is the sitting Presiding Judge, Denver Juvenile Court, standing for a retention vote on the November 3, 2026 ballot¹. Denver Juvenile Court Judge since January 2024 and Presiding Judge since March 2024; Magistrate Judge from 2019². The commission found the judge meets performance standards²⁴.

• Denver Juvenile Court Judge since January 2024 and Presiding Judge since March 2024; Magistrate Judge from 2019²
• Senior Assistant Attorney General 2016 to 2019, Assistant Attorney General 2011 to 2016, Deputy District Attorney in Denver 2008 to 2009²
• Indiana University; University of Colorado Law School²
• Colorado judges are first appointed by the governor to a provisional term and then stand for retention³. Elizabeth Joan McCarthy was appointed as a judge in January 2024 after serving as a magistrate judge in Denver Juvenile Court from 2019². This is a retention election: voters decide yes or no on keeping the sitting judge, and no opponent is on the ballot¹.
• Bar poll: Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, 2026 evaluation: the page prints "Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards" and states: "The Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 10-0 that Judge Elizabeth Joan McCarthy MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS."²⁴. This is an official state commission evaluation of the judge's performance, not an endorsement.
• Public discipline: The Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline states that it has no jurisdiction over Denver County Court judges, so its public Determination Database does not cover this judge. No other discipline source was checked.⁵