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William Culver
County Court Judge, Otero County
Running in 2026: County Court Judge, Otero County (November 3)
Judicial performance evaluation, 2026
Commission recommendation: Meets performance standards (8–0) · 8 of 8 commissioners voted “meets”
The commission's narrative
The Sixteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance agrees by a vote of 8-0, with one commissioner abstaining and one commission vacancy, that Judge William Culver MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS .
Judge Culver presides over civil, criminal advisements, misdemeanors, traffic, and small claims matters in Otero County, Colorado. Judge Culver’s demeanor is described as, patient, fair, and understanding of people in the court room. Judge Culver has excellent docket control, consistently prepared for his hearings and executes exceptional oral and written orders. Commission members observed these qualities during their evaluation and interview. Based on these findings, the Commission agreed that Judge Culver meets performance standards.
The Commission conducted a personal interview with Judge Culver, interviewed both the Public Defender and District Attorney, reviewed opinions he authored, observed him in court, reviewed a self-evaluation, and reviewed judicial performance survey responses from attorneys and non-attorneys who had appeared before him. Although only 17 surveys were completed for Judge Culver, the Commission determined that the remaining sources provided a sufficient basis to issue this opinion.
Judge Culver has been appointed to the County Court since 2024. Before becoming a County Court Judge, Judge Culver was the elected district attorney for the 16th Judicial District. Prior to 2012, Judge Culver was a solo practitioner and focused on complex divorce proceedings and criminal defense. Judge Culver also litigated dependency and neglect cases, juvenile delinquency cases, civil cases and provided consultation in probate matters. Judge Culver graduated from Emory University School of Law in 1995 with a juris doctorate and Fort Hays State University in 1992 with a BA. Judge Culver is a member of the Colorado Bar, the Bar of the United States District Court for Colorado and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
1300 Broadway, Suite 220 Denver, Colorado 80203
(303) 928-7777
The evaluation on judicialperformance.colorado.gov · 2026 Retention Survey Report (PDF) · 2025 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
From the state's Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation. A commission of citizens, attorneys and non-attorneys for each judicial district (the state commission for appellate judges) reviews each judge standing for retention and finds that they meet, or do not meet, performance standards. Voters decide.
Personal Financial Disclosures
Income listed: up to $255,000 on their latest disclosure with entries: the top of each range they selected, added up (the form asks for ranges, not amounts; a range with no top counts at its figure).
| Statement | Filed | What it lists |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Annual Otero County Court judge | 2026-01-02 | 2 income sources, 5 assets, 2 colorado property, 2 debts |
| 2025 Annual Otero County Court judge | 2025-02-21 | 2 income sources, 5 assets, 2 colorado property, 1 debts |
| 2025 Annual Otero County Court judge | 2025-01-09 | 2 income sources, 5 assets, 1 colorado property |
| 2024 Annual County Judge, Otero County, Colorado | 2024-06-10 | 2 income sources, 4 assets, 1 colorado property, 2 debts |
Findings
None.