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Colorado Supreme Court justice vacancy (June 2018)
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| Rice Vacancy Colorado Supreme Court |
| Vacancy date |
| Vacancy status |
| Nomination date |
| May 30, 2018 |
| Confirmation date |
| July 2, 2018 |
| Table of contents |
|
The appointee Selection process Media coverage About Chief Justice Rice |
| See also |
| Recent news External links Footnotes |
Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Nancy Rice retired on June 30, 2018.[1]
Under Colorado law, Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed Rice's replacement. On May 30, 2018, Hickenlooper announced the appointment of Judge Carlos Samour Jr. to fill Rice's seat. Samour was Hickenlooper's fifth nominee to the seven-member Supreme Court.[2]
The appointee
Justice Carlos Samour Jr. received his undergraduate degree in psychology, graduating with honors, from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1987. He was awarded his J.D. degree from the University of Denver College of Law in 1990. At the time of his appointment to the Colorado Supreme Court, Samour was a judge on the 18th District Court in Colorado. Prior to his service on the bench, Samour served as a deputy district attorney in the Denver District Attorney's office and worked in private practice.[2]
The selection process
There are seven justices on the Colorado Supreme Court, each appointed by the governor from a list of names compiled by a nominating commission. Initial terms last at least two years, after which justices must stand for retention in a yes-no election. Subsequent terms last ten years. If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a justice's term.[3]
The nominating commission consists of fifteen voting members, with the majority being non-lawyers. Members include one non-lawyer citizen from each of the state's congressional districts, one lawyer from each of the state's congressional districts, and one additional non-lawyer member. The commission is chaired by the acting chief justice of the state supreme court, but the chief justice does not vote. Non-lawyers are appointed by the Governor. Lawyer members are appointed jointly by the Governor, Attorney General, and Chief Justice. No more than eight members (excluding the chief justice) may be members of the same political party. Each member receives a six-year term upon appointment.
The chief justice of the supreme court is selected by peer vote and serves in that capacity indefinitely.[3][4]
Media coverage
This section provides an overview of media coverage of the vacancy from within Colorado and across the country.[5] Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that have emerged surrounding the vacancy. Articles exploring similar topics or conflicts are grouped into sections, with the most recent articles appearing at the top of each section. The following types of coverage are featured in this section:
- The retiring judge: Articles discussing the retiring judge and her impact on the court.
The retiring judge
- Dan Njegomir, The Gazette (March 8, 2018)[1]:
- "A press release from the state Judicial Department offers this bio on the judge who has helped craft judicial precedent - effectively steering a wide range of state public policy - for two decades...The Judicial Department also listed some milestones during Rice's time at the helm of the court. Among them:
- - She oversaw completion of electronic filing systems for civil and criminal cases;
- - She advocated for new funding for probation officers and programs to help implement evidence-based programs to aid the rehabilitation of those on probation;
- - She oversaw creation of a program to help counties obtain funding for courthouse improvements and new construction."[1]
About Chief Justice Rice
Rice was first appointed to the court in August 1998 by Democratic Governor Roy Romer. She was retained by voters in 2000 and 2010. Her term would have expired on January 11, 2021.[6] She was named chief justice in 2013 and took that office in January 2014.[6][7]
Rice earned her undergraduate degree from Tufts University in 1972 and her J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law in 1975. Prior to her appointment to the supreme court, she was a judge on the Colorado Second District Court and an assistant United States Attorney for the District of Colorado. She has also served as a faculty member at the University of Colorado School of Law. Following her graduation from law school, she served as a law clerk to Judge Fred Winner of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.[6]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Gazette, " Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Nancy E. Rice to retire," March 8, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, "Gov. Hickenlooper appoints new justice to Colorado Supreme Court," May 30, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Colorado," accessed February 9, 2017
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Colorado; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived January 13, 2014
- ↑ In selecting articles for inclusion in this page, Ballotpedia has drawn from a variety of sources and viewpoints to identify articles that are representative of broader trends in media coverage.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Colorado Judicial Branch, "Nancy E. Rice," accessed August 10, 2016
- ↑ Law Week Colorado, "Justice Rice Named Chief Justice-Designate," June 6, 2013
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Federal courts:
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Colorado • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Colorado
State courts:
Colorado Supreme Court • Colorado Court of Appeals • Colorado District Courts • Colorado County Courts • Denver Probate Court • Denver Juvenile Court • Colorado Municipal Courts • Colorado Water Courts
State resources:
Courts in Colorado • Colorado judicial elections • Judicial selection in Colorado
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