Who is running for Jefferson County Court, Retention: Judge Jennifer Lynn Melton in 2026?

Jefferson County Court Judge (Jefferson County Court)

Jennifer Lynn Melton is the sitting Jefferson County Court Judge, standing for a retention vote on the November 3, 2026 ballot¹. Jefferson County Court Judge since July 2019, on a mixed criminal, misdemeanor and civil docket². The commission found the judge meets performance standards²⁴.

• Jefferson County Court Judge since July 2019, on a mixed criminal, misdemeanor and civil docket²
• Clerked for a Texas Court of Appeals judge; in Colorado, private practice, then a solo practice in criminal defense and dependency and neglect cases, with Alternate Defense Counsel and Respondent Parent Counsel contracts from 2008²
• Texas A&M University; Texas Tech University School of Law²
• Colorado judges are first appointed by the governor to a provisional term and then stand for retention³. Jennifer Lynn Melton was appointed in July 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 First Judicial District Commission agrees (9-0, one abstention) Judge Jennifer Lynn Melton 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