Who is running for 18th Judicial District (Arapahoe) District Court, Retention: Judge Michelle Ann Amico in 2026?

Judge, 18th Judicial District Court (Arapahoe County); Chief Judge of the district

Michelle Ann Amico is the sitting 18th Judicial District Court judge and chief judge of the district, standing for a retention vote on the November 3, 2026 ballot¹. She was appointed in 2012 after serving as a Denver prosecutor².

• District Court judge since 2012 presiding over civil, probate and criminal matters; Chief Judge of the 18th Judicial District since July 2018²
• Deputy District Attorney and Chief Deputy District Attorney in Denver before her appointment²
• Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, University of Arizona (1989); J.D., University of Denver Sturm College of Law (1993)²
• Appointed to the District Court bench in 2012 and named Chief Judge of the 18th Judicial District in July 2018; the evaluation page does not name the appointing governor². 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: Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards. "The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance agrees by a vote of 8-0, with one member absent and one vacancy on the Commission, that Judge Michelle Ann Amico MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS." This is an official state commission evaluation of the judge's performance, not an endorsement².