Eighth Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Daniel McDonald
Retention Year: 2022
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standard
The Eighth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 8-0 that Judge Daniel McDonald 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.
As a District Court Judge, Judge McDonald presides over criminal, civil, and domestic relations, cases. During his interview, Judge McDonald noted that he makes a conscious effort to issue written orders that are clear and easy for non-attorneys to read. The Commission was impressed with Judge McDonald’s recognition that the gravity of the Court’s ruling, particularly his sentencing orders, and the impact these rulings have on those who appear before the Court.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge McDonald, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court, and reviewed judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who appeared in Judge McDonald’s courtroom. The Commission also met with representatives of the District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Public Defender. A total of forty-nine individuals, thirty-nine attorneys and ten non-attorneys, believed they had sufficient knowledge to express their opinion of Judge McDonald. When asked whether Judge McDonald meets performance standards: Of the attorneys responding to the survey, 100% answered yes. Of the non-attorneys responding to the survey, 67% answered yes and 33% had no opinion. Judge McDonald received particularly high ratings in the areas of case management, fairness, and demeanor.
Judge McDonald was appointed as a District Court Judge in the 8th Judicial District in January of 2020. Judge McDonald received his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in 2001 and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado in 2005. Prior to his appointment, Judge McDonald was a Chief Deputy District Attorney in the 8th Judicial District, focusing primarily in the area of Sexual Assaults and Crimes Against Children. He also spent four years as the Chief of the Intake Division and Central Services working to develop processes to more efficiently use technology in the office.