Meredith Patrick Cord

The Fourth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously (10-0) agrees that El Paso County Court Judge Meredith Patrick Cord MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS .

Judge Patrick Cord’s docket is 90% criminal and 10% civil cases. Her criminal cases are misdemeanors, approximately 65% of which are traffic and DUI cases. She is consistently described as knowledgeable, well-prepared, patient, and fair, and her written opinions reflect a careful command of the law. She maintains written case management orders, meets regularly with the attorneys assigned to her courtroom to build consistency amid high attorney turnover, and prepares her dockets a week in advance so that every matter receives appropriate attention. In her Commission interview, Judge Patrick Cord described keeping a note on her bench that reads, “This may be the most important day in this person’s life,” a philosophy Commissioners witnessed her honor firsthand, including in her patient and inclusive approach to the approximately 10 percent of her litigants who require Spanish-language interpretation. Judge Patrick Cord’s overall combined performance score on the 2026 Judicial Performance Survey was 3.7 out of 4.0, which is above average for County Court judges in the Fourth Judicial District. Her highest-rated category was communication at 3.8; diligence, demeanor, and fairness each scored 3.7; and case management and knowledge and application of law each scored 3.6. Although the Survey results are statistically invalid due to low response rate, 18 of 19 responders believe that Judge Patrick Cord meets or exceeds judicial performance standards. Judge Patrick Cord works hard to enhance public confidence in the judiciary. The Commission believes Judge Patrick Cord is a true asset to the Fourth Judicial District.

The Commission interviewed Judge Patrick Cord, observed her in court, reviewed her self-evaluation, written opinions, judicial performance data, comments from attorneys and non-attorneys, and the judicial performance survey results from 2026, which included 19 completed survey responses (2 attorneys and 17 non-attorneys). The Commission also spoke with the Chief Judge and representatives of the District Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office, all of whom reported positively on her performance.

Judge Patrick Cord was appointed to the County Court bench in January 2019. Before her appointment, she served as a District Court Magistrate in Colorado Springs for more than four years, handling domestic relations and child support matters. Prior to joining the bench, she was a shareholder at Johnson & Cord, P.C. practicing family law; she also served as an associate attorney at Kane, Donley and Johnson and the Marrison Law Firm, and as a prosecutor with the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Judge Patrick Cord received her undergraduate degree from Ohio State University and her law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2001. She serves on the Board of Directors of Court Care for the Pikes Peak Region and was recently appointed to the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline.

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