Daniel W. Warhola

Daniel W. Warhola was appointed a district court judge in August 2024 and sits on the Twenty-Third Judicial District Court. He heard a domestic relations docket at first and moved to a full-time criminal docket in October 2025.

Before his appointment he was a deputy and senior deputy district attorney in the 17th and 18th Judicial Districts from 2013 to 2022 and an assistant United States attorney for the District of Colorado from 2022 to 2024. He earned a business administration degree from the University of Richmond and a law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and he volunteers as a judge for high school mock trial and speech and debate competitions.

The Twenty-Third Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance voted 6 to 0 that he meets performance standards, with one commissioner recused, one commissioner absent and two vacancies on the commission. Fourteen attorneys and 15 non-attorneys answered its survey. Of the attorneys, 82 percent answered that he meets performance standards and 18 percent answered that he does not; of the non-attorneys, 67 percent answered yes, 20 percent answered no and 13 percent had no opinion.

The commission writes that "Judge Warhola’s demeanor is described as calm, respectful, and approachable" and that it "applauds the work he has done as a new judge to learn the job." It reports that he "is thorough in his efforts to provide equal treatment and make correct decisions, while also being conscientious about delivering timely rulings." It adds that he explains the evidence and reasoning behind his decisions in plain language, spoken and written.