Hon. Katherine R. Delgado (Ret.) was a judge for the 17th Judicial District Court of Colorado. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Bill Owens in 2002. Delgado retired in January 2023.
The 17th Judicial District includes Adams and Broomfield Counties.
During her judicial tenure, Delgado began in the Domestic Division before transitioning to the Criminal Division and later the Juvenile Division. She also served as Lead Judge for the Model Court Project through the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
Prior to her appointment, she worked as a corporate law attorney and a chief deputy district attorney with the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office.
She received a B.A. in political science and history from Colorado College in 1979. Delgado went on to complete a J.D. at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law in 1983.
She was admitted to practice in Colorado in 1984.
Among her contributions while on the bench, Delgado was involved in issues related to Disproportionate Minority Contact within the Child Welfare and Delinquency systems and helped to make improvements to the D & N system, including timely assessment and resources for respondent parents, giving children a voice, and the development of a drug court model designed for respondent fathers. She is also credited with spearheading a project for early intervention and treatment for mental health offenders.
Delgado was appointed by former Governor Bill Ritter to the Child Welfare Action Committee, served as a member of the National Task Force for Minority Overrepresentation in the Child Welfare System through the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges and Casey Family Programs, and chaired the Colorado Disparities Resource Center’s Disparity Leadership Committee.
She was named Colorado CASA Judge of the Year in 2008.