Matthew R. Zehe

Matthew R. Zehe has served on the Larimer County Court since November 2022, when he was sworn in as a county court judge in the Eighth Judicial District. He presides at the Loveland County Court and continues to preside over the DUI Recovery Court.

From November 2006 he was a magistrate for the Eighth Judicial District, presiding over the juvenile delinquency docket, the Juvenile Recovery Court, the First Appearance Center and the DUI Recovery Court. Before that he was an attorney with the Colorado State Public Defender's Office from December 1995 to October 2006. He graduated from Indiana University in 1991 with a degree in philosophy and earned his law degree from the University of Denver in 1995.

The Commission on Judicial Performance for the Eighth Judicial District voted 8 to 0 that he meets performance standards, with one commissioner absent and one vacancy on the commission. Of the 24 people who completed the survey, 10 were attorneys and 14 non-attorneys. The commission calls this "a markedly low response rate" and writes that it "gave the appropriate weight to the survey responses in its evaluation."

The commission writes that "Judge Zehe strives to conduct an efficient courtroom that meets the needs of those who appear before him and promotes the fair administration of justice." It finds that he "exhibits great self-awareness, willingness to listen, and receptiveness to ideas and suggestions" and that he "thoughtfully considers the survey comments about his communication style, in both his traditional docket and his Problem-Solving DUI Court and identifies strategies to improve his presentation in court." The commission writes that he "performs his duties well and possesses a strong knowledge of the law" and calls him "an asset to the Courts and the State of Colorado."