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

Jon J. Olafson is the sitting District Court Judge, Denver District Court, standing for a retention vote on the November 3, 2026 ballot¹. Denver District Court Judge since December 2023². The commission found the judge meets performance standards²⁴.

• Denver District Court Judge since December 2023²
• Practiced commercial and employment litigation, including as a partner at Buchalter, PC²
• University of North Dakota; Texas Tech University School of Law²
• Colorado judges are first appointed by the governor to a provisional term and then stand for retention³. Jon J. Olafson was appointed to the Denver District Court in December 2023². 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 9-0, with one Commissioner recusing, that Judge Jon J. Olafson MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS."²⁴. This is an official state commission evaluation of the judge's performance, not an endorsement.
• Public discipline: Searched on 2026-10-08: the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline's public Determination Database (17 public determinations, 1984 to 2025, all four result pages viewed), its list of public court filings (Matters of Grattan, MacLaren and Murphy) and the public discipline section of its 2025 Annual Report; none names this judge. Not checked: discipline short of a public proceeding, which is confidential and not listed by name, and Colorado Supreme Court attorney regulation records.⁵