Jennifer Lynn Melton

Jennifer Lynn Melton was appointed to the Jefferson County Court in July 2019. She presides over a mixed docket of criminal, misdemeanor and civil cases. Voters retained her in 2022 with 71.18 percent of the votes cast on the question: 156,888 yes and 63,520 no.

She attended Texas A&M University on a swimming scholarship and Texas Tech University School of Law on an academic scholarship, then clerked for Judge Max Osborne of the Texas Court of Appeals. She moved to Colorado in 1995 and practiced civil and domestic law with a small private firm. In 2008 she received contracts from the offices of Alternate Defense Counsel and Respondent Parent Counsel, and she later opened a solo practice in criminal defense and dependency and neglect cases.

The First Judicial District Commission voted 9 to 0 that she meets performance standards, with one commissioner absent. The commission describes her courtroom demeanor as even-tempered and practical and cites comments on her fairness in sentencing. It writes that she "is known and appreciated for her commitment to mentoring attorneys who are new to practicing law" and that the District Attorney's Office and the Office of Public Defender described her courtroom as "a good place for new attorneys to learn".

The commission also reports: "Evaluations and feedback indicate Judge Melton can often move too quickly, specifically in the afternoon docket, and she needs to be more conscious of addressing Victim Rights Act (VRA) issues." She has committed to slowing the pace so that all parties have time to present their cases and understand the legal basis for her decisions, the commission writes.