County Court Judge - Larimer: Matthew R. Zehe

What the commission said

The Commission on Judicial Performance for the Eighth Judicial District finds that Judge Mathew R. Zehe MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS by a vote of 8-0 with one commissioner absent and one commission vacancy. The judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and public.

Judge Zehe strives to conduct an efficient courtroom that meets the needs of those who appear before him and promotes the fair administration of justice. Judge Zehe exhibits great self-awareness, willingness to listen, and receptiveness to ideas and suggestions. Judge Zehe thoughtfully considers the survey comments about his communication style, in both his traditional docket and his Problem-Solving DUI Court and identifies strategies to improve his presentation in court. Judge Zehe expands access to his courtroom through the appropriate use of technology. The Commission believes Judge Zehe performs his duties well and possesses a strong knowledge of the law. The Commission appreciates his commitment and thoughtful approach to self-growth. The Commission believes that Judge Zehe is an asset to the Courts and the State of Colorado.

For this evaluation, the Commission interviewed Judge Zehe, read a selection of his legal opinions, observed him in court (including his problem-solving court docket), reviewed his judicial performance survey report, interviewed the chief judge for the district, the district attorney and head of the public defenders’ office for the district, reviewed case management statistics, and reviewed his self-evaluation. As to the survey data, a total of 24 individuals, 10 attorneys and 14 non-attorneys, completed the survey, which is a markedly low response rate. Given the significantly low response rates to the surveys overall, the Commission gave the appropriate weight to the survey responses in its evaluation.

Matthew Zehe was sworn in as a judge for the County Court in the Eighth Judicial District on November 14, 2022. Previously, Judge Zehe served as a magistrate for the Eighth Judicial District of Colorado since November of 2006. In that role he presided over the juvenile delinquency docket and the Juvenile Recovery Court, the First Appearance Center in Division, and the DUI Recovery Court. Judge Zehe also served as an attorney for the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office from December 1995 to October 2006. He graduated from Indiana University in 1991 with a degree in Philosophy and earned his J.D. from the University of Denver in 1995. Judge Zehe permanently presides at the Loveland County Court, and he continues to preside over the DUI Recovery Court.

The survey

The share of each group surveyed who said the judge meets performance standards.

• Attorneys50%
• Non-attorneys47%