Eighth Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Carroll Michelle Brinegar
Retention Year: 2022
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standard
The Eighth Judicial District Judicial Performance Commission votes 9-0 that Judge Carroll Michelle Brinegar MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Judge Brinegar presides over civil cases, dependency and neglect cases, and the adult drug court program. Judge Brinegar enjoys being a judicial officer and is well-respected by the community. In survey comments, Judge Brinegar was noted as a kind and respectful judicial officer who makes sure every person in her courtroom is heard. Based on comments received during a previous evaluation, Judge Brinegar set the goal of issuing written orders in a more timely manner. Based on comments received in this evaluation cycle, it appears that she has made significant progress toward this goal, which she intends to maintain. The Commission also recognizes that over the past several years, Judge Brinegar has taken on the role of a mentor to several of the newer judicial officers.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Brinegar, reviewed opinions she authored, observed her in court, and reviewed judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who appeared in Judge Brinegar’s courtroom. The Commission also met with representatives of the District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Public Defender. A total of fifty-three individuals, twenty-seven attorneys and twenty-six non-attorneys, believed they had sufficient knowledge to express their opinion of Judge Brinegar. When asked whether Judge Brinegar meets performance standards: Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 100% answered yes. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 83% answered yes and 17% had no opinion. Judge Brinegar received particularly high ratings in the areas of communication, diligence, and demeanor.
Judge Brinegar was appointed as a District Court Judge in the 8th Judicial District in December of 2013. She received her undergraduate degree from Colorado State University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver College of Law in 1991. Prior to her appointment, Judge Brinegar worked as a Deputy District Attorney in the 8th Judicial District, primarily focusing in the areas of juvenile law, sex assaults, and crimes against children. Judge Brinegar is a member of the State Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Council and was formerly a member of the Colorado State Juvenile Task Force.