Gov. Jared Polis appointed Jeffrey M. Schwartz to the 8th Judicial District Court, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Juan G. Villaseñor. The appointment is effective immediately.
Polis also appointed Michael M. Perez to Weld County Court in the 19th Judicial District. Perez will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Renee S. Doak. The appointment is effective Jan. 13, 2027.
Jeffrey M. Schwartz
Schwartz has served as a district court magistrate in the 8th Judicial District since 2023, handling domestic relations matters. Previously, he was a founder and partner at Schwartz & Waible LLC from 2009 to 2022 and a deputy public defender in the Colorado Springs office of the Colorado State Public Defender from 2003 to 2008.
Schwartz earned his bachelor’s degree from Adams State University in 1999 and his law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law in 2003.
Michael M. Perez
Perez has been an associate attorney at Wagstaff Law Firm since 2025, where his practice focuses on civil litigation. Previously, he was a deputy district attorney in the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office from 2021 to 2025 and a deputy district attorney in the 19th Judicial District Attorney’s Office from 2017 to 2021. He also served as a law clerk for Alaska Superior Court Judges Michael Spaan and Dani Crosby from 2015 to 2016.
Perez earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2011 and his law degree from the University of California, Davis, School of Law in 2015.