Peter F. Michaelson

Peter Michaelson, a judge on Colorado's 18th Judicial District Court in Arapahoe County, faced a formal complaint filed May 19, 2023 by attorney Mark Cohen, alleging Michaelson threatened to jail him during a three-day civil trial in February 2023 — including telling Cohen to bring a toothbrush to court so he'd be "more comfortable in jail." Cohen's complaint described this as part of a broader pattern of rude and unprofessional conduct: Michaelson would invite attorneys to present their theories on claims and defenses, then threaten to jail them when they said something he disagreed with.

Michaelson subsequently announced to the Colorado Supreme Court his intention to resign, citing frustration with inadequate court resources and what he described as "implicit and explicit threats to judges from within and outside the judicial department." Cohen publicly called for Michaelson's removal before the resignation took effect, arguing he shouldn't remain on the bench in the intervening months.