Judge Holmes practiced law for 17 years with an emphasis on litigation.  He handled a variety of civil and criminal cases and participated in over a hundred jury trials.  He represented clients in mediations and arbitrations as well as in court.   He served as a district court magistrate for several years and then spent 15 years as a district court judge in Colorado’s Eighteenth Judicial District.   As a judge he handled all case types including civil, domestic, criminal, and probate.  The Eighteenth Judicial District consists of four counties reflecting urban, suburban and rural populations.  Judge Holmes served in all of them.

As a judge, Holmes has been the subject of several judicial performance reviews.   In one such review, the performance commission found that he was an exceptional and accomplished judge.  It further determined that he conducts himself in a highly professional manner, treats all parties with dignity, respect, and kindness, is efficient, and maintains a sense of calmness in his courtroom.    In his last review in 2022, after noting that Judge Holmes presided over a civil docket, the performance commission included in its description of him that he had a fair and consistent demeanor, and that he possessed a strong knowledge of the law.