Judicial & Legislative News
The Fourth Judicial District Nominating Commission has nominated three candidates for an El Paso County court judgeship created by the retirement of the Hon. Doug Miles, effective Feb 27, 2022. Nominees Charlotte Ankeny, Hillary Gurney and Cynthia McKedy, all of Colorado Springs were selected during a videoconference on Jan 14, 2022.
Under the Colorado Constitution, the governor has 15 days from Jan 18, 2022, within which to appoint one of the nominees as county court judge for El Paso County.
Comments regarding any of the nominees may be sent via e-mail to the governor at:
gov_judicialappointments@state.co.us
Editor’s Note: Contact information for the three nominees
The Fourth Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet via videoconference on March 2, 2022, to interview and select nominees for appointment by the governor to the office of district judge for the Fourth Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties). The vacancy will be created by the retirement of the Hon. G. David Miller. The vacancy will occur on March 31, 2022.
To be eligible, the applicant must be a qualified elector of the Fourth Judicial District at the time of investiture and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Colorado for five years. The current annual salary for this position is $178,452. The initial term of office of a district judge is a provisional term of two years; thereafter, the incumbent district judge, if approved by the voters, has a term of six years.
Application forms are available from the office of the ex officio chair of the nominating commission, Justice William W. Hood III, 2 E. 14th Ave., Denver, CO 80203; and the office of the court executive, Scott Sosebee, 270 S. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, CO 80901. Applications also are available on the court’s home page at http://www.courts.state.co.us/Careers/Judge.cfm
The completed application must be e-mailed to the address listed in the instructions below no later than 4 p.m. on Feb. 11, 2022. Late applications will not be considered. Any person wishing to suggest a candidate to fill the vacancy may do so by letter to be submitted to any member of the nominating commission, with a copy to the ex officio chair, no later than 4 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2022.
The members of the nominating commission for the Fourth Judicial District are: Lisa Dailey, Stella Hodgkins, C. Onye Ikwaukor, and Laura Rosendo, all of Colorado Springs; Kathleen Cefus of Divide; and Michael Allen of Monument. This commission currently has one vacancy.
Editor’s Note: Contact information for the nominating commission members.
Based on the continuing rise in COVID-19 incidence and positivity rates, jury calls in the Fourth Judicial District will remain suspended through January 28, 2022.
Read the full order.
Jury Trials Suspended Through January 14
Due to rising COVID-19 numbers in El Paso and Teller County, jury trials and jury calls from January 3 through January 14 have been suspended
See Full Order
Governor to appoint new district court judge
The Fourth Judicial District Nominating Commission has nominated three candidates for a district court judgeship created by the appointment to the Court of Appeals of the Hon. Timothy J. Schutz. The vacancy will occur on Jan. 1, 2022. Nominees Diana May and Amanda Philipps, both of Colorado Springs; and William Moller of Woodland Park were selected by the commission on Dec. 29, 2021.
Under the Colorado Constitution, the governor has 15 days from Dec. 30, 2021, within which to appoint one of the nominees as district court judge for the Fourth Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties).
Comments regarding any of the nominees may be sent via e-mail to the governor at gov_judicialappointments@state.co.us
Editor’s Note: Contact information for the three nominees:
Court of Appeals judge finalists selected
Governor to appoint new Court of Appeals judge
The Supreme Court Nominating Commission has nominated three candidates for a vacancy on the Colorado Court of Appeals. The vacancy was created by the retirement of Chief Judge Steve Bernard, and it will occur on Jan. 1, 2022. The nominees were selected during a videoconference meeting in Denver on Oct. 27, 2021. They are Priscilla Loew, Karl Schock and Timothy Schutz.
Under the Colorado Constitution, the governor has 15 days from Oct. 28, 2021, within which to appoint one of the nominees as a judge on the Colorado Court of Appeals.
Editor’s Note: Contact information for the nominees:
See Full Announcement
Pilot program allowing e-filing by self-represented litigants expands to three more judicial districts
DENVER – The Colorado Judicial Department announced today that a pilot program allowing electronic filing of documents by people representing themselves in family court cases has expanded to cover an additional 10 counties.
The e-filing program is open to litigants without attorneys in dissolution of marriage, dissolution of civil union, and custody cases. Approximately 75 percent of litigants in such cases choose to represent themselves.
The expansion will include self-represented litigants in the same types of cases, including existing cases, in the 7th Judicial District (Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties), the 16th Judicial District (Bent, Crowley and Otero counties), and the 20th Judicial District (Boulder County).
The program is now available in all or portions of Judicial Districts 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19 and 21, encompassing 35 counties.
Only named parties to a case are eligible to e-file. Requests to waive fees cannot be made through the e-filing system at this time; indigent parties will need to continue filing paper documents at the clerk’s office in the courthouse.
More information about e-filing for non-attorneys may be found at https://www.courts.state.co.us/Administration/Unit.cfm?Unit=efilenoaty.
Application period opens for Judicial Nominating Commission positions
Thirty-two vacancies to occur on 20 nominating commissions
DENVER – Applications are now being accepted for upcoming vacancies on 33 Judicial Nominating Commissions throughout Colorado.
As of Dec. 31, 2021, there will be 32 vacancies as detailed below. Judicial nominating commissioners are volunteers and serve six-year terms interviewing applicants for judicial vacancies and nominating candidates to the governor.
More information on nominating commissions may be found on the Judicial Branch Web site at http://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/Supreme_Court/Nominating.cfm .
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with initial application review and consideration beginning on Oct. 5, 2021. Applications may be made only online at the State of Colorado Boards and Commissions Application page at https://www.colorado.gov/governor/boards-commissions-application . Applicants should include a current resume or biography where indicated on the application.
This announcement has been updated. The new meeting date is Oct. 27, 2021.
Colorado Court of Appeals Chief Judge Steve Bernard to retire
Nominating Commission sets date to select nominees
The Supreme Court Nominating Commission invites qualified attorneys to apply for a Colorado Court of Appeals judgeship created by the retirement of Chief Judge Steve Bernard. The vacancy will occur on Jan. 1, 2022. The commission will meet via videoconference on Oct. 27, 2021, to interview applicants and select nominees for appointment by the governor.
To be eligible for appointment to fill a vacancy, the applicant must be a qualified elector of the State of Colorado and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Colorado for five years. The annual salary for a court of appeals judge is currently $186,132. The initial term of office of a Court of Appeals judge is a provisional term of two years. Thereafter, the incumbent judge, if retained by the voters, has a term of eight years.
Application forms are available from the office of the ex-officio chair of the Nominating Commission, Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright, 2 E. 14th Ave., Denver, CO 80203; and the office of the court executive of any of the 22 judicial districts. Applications are also available on the court’s home page at: http://www.courts.state.co.us/Careers/Judge.cfm
The completed application must be e-mailed to the address listed in the instructions below no later than 4 p.m. Oct. 1, 2021. Late applications will not be considered. Any person wishing to suggest a candidate to fill the vacancy may do so by letter to be submitted to any member of the nominating commission, with a copy to the ex-officio chair, no later than 4 p.m. Sept. 24, 2021.
Applications will be kept confidential, except that the nominating commission shall disclose the names, work addresses, and work telephone numbers of the three nominees submitted to the governor.
The members of the Supreme Court Nominating Commission are: Katina Banks and Daniel Ramos, both of Denver; Kimberly Jordan of Fort Collins; Peter Gould of Boulder; Linda Garcia of Pueblo; J. Martelle Daniels of Grand Junction; Deborah Suniga of Greeley; Stanton Dodge of Castle Rock; Jay Patel and David McDivitt, both of Colorado Springs; C. Omar Montgomery of Aurora; Carolyn Fairless of Lakewood; and Heather Lipp and Danielle Radovich Piper, both of Golden. The commission currently has one vacancy.
Editor’s Note: Contact information for the nominating commission members:
Fourth Judicial District announces El Paso County Court vacancy
Commission sets date to select nominees
The Fourth Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet Oct. 5, 2021, via videoconference to interview and select nominees for appointment by the governor to the office of county judge for El Paso County. The vacancy will be created by the appointment of the Hon. Samuel Evig to the Fourth Judicial District, District Court. The vacancy will occur on Oct. 8, 2021.
To be eligible, the applicant must be a qualified elector of El Paso County at the time of investiture and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Colorado. The current annual salary for this position is $170,784. The initial term of office of a county judge is a provisional term of two years; thereafter, the incumbent county judge, if approved by the voters, has a term of four years.
Application forms are available from the office of the ex officio chair of the nominating commission, Justice Maria E. Berkenkotter, 2 E. 14th Ave., Denver, CO 80203; and the office of the court executive, Scott Sosebee, 270 S. Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80901. Applications also are available on the court’s home page at http://www.courts.state.co.us/Careers/Judge.cfm
The completed application must be e-mailed to the address listed in the instructions below no later than Sept. 21, 2021 by 4 p.m. Late applications will not be considered. Any person wishing to suggest a candidate to fill the vacancy may do so by letter to be submitted to any member of the nominating commission, with a copy to the ex officio chair, no later than Sept. 14, 2021, by 4 p.m.
The members of the nominating commission for the Fourth Judicial District are: Juan Moreno, Mary Linden, Lisa Dailey, Stella Hodgkins, and C. Onye Ikwaukor, all of Colorado Springs; and Kathleen Cefus of Divide.
This commission currently has one vacancy.
