Twenty-First Judicial District - Mesa County Court Judge
Honorable Michael Joseph Grattan III
Retention Year: 2024
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards
Reports:
2024 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
2023 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
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The Twenty-First Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 10-0 that County Court Judge Michael Joseph Grattan III MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Judge Grattan presides over civil, criminal, misdemeanor, and traffic matters in the county court of Mesa County, Colorado with the majority of his cases being criminal. His rulings provide good analysis, and he applies the facts to the law. Judge Grattan pays attention to and shows concern for the people appearing in his courtroom, regardless of their status. It is evident that he knows his actions may impact the future of these individuals. In criminal cases, he has a stated goal of helping ensure that the defendant reforms and gets out of the criminal justice system. He is well organized and prepares in advance for his docket. By studying and reading he strives to keep informed and up to date on the law. Administratively, Judge Grattan has become more adept at moving cases along through the process, including monitoring aging cases. He is conscientious about ensuring that efficiency does not come at the expense of giving each case the time and attention it needs. Overall, he is a dedicated, responsible, and conscientious judge. Commission members observed these qualities during their evaluation and interview of Judge Grattan.
The Commission interviewed Judge Grattan, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court and reviewed judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who appeared in Judge Grattan’s court. Among the survey questions was “based on your responses to previous questions related to the performance evaluation criteria, do you think Judge Grattan meets judicial standards?” Of the attorneys responding to the survey 92% answered yes. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey question 100% answered yes. Regrettably, only twelve attorneys and six non-attorneys responded to the judicial performance surveys expressing their opinion of Judge Grattan, and therefore the Commission did not rely heavily on these survey results.
Judge Grattan received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in 1986 and a law degree from the College of William & Mary in 1990. Judge Grattan was in private practice in Indiana from 1990 through 1999 and in private practice in Grand Junction, Colorado from 1999 through 2016. He was appointed to the County Court bench by Governor Hickenlooper in January 2017.