Seven justices sit on the Colorado Supreme Court, each reaching the bench through a merit-based appointment by the governor and kept there by voters at periodic retention elections. The current Colorado Supreme Court justices, in order of seniority, are Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez, Brian D. Boatright, William W. Hood III, Richard L. Gabriel, Carlos A. Samour Jr., Maria E. Berkenkotter, and Susan Blanco.
The Seven Current Justices
Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez
Appointed to the court in 2010, Márquez became Chief Justice on July 26, 2024. She previously worked in the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and earned her law degree from Yale University. As Chief Justice she presides over oral arguments, assigns opinion-writing duties, and chairs the Supreme Court Nominating Commission.
Justice Brian D. Boatright
Boatright has served since 2011. He came to the high court after years as a district court judge and holds his law degree from the University of Denver College of Law.
Justice William W. Hood III
Appointed in 2014, Hood spent years as a prosecutor before joining the court. He received his legal education from the University of Virginia.
Justice Richard L. Gabriel
Gabriel was appointed in 2015 after seven years as a judge on the Colorado Court of Appeals. He graduated from Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, and earlier in his career worked as a law firm partner and as a city prosecutor in Lafayette, Colorado.
Justice Carlos A. Samour Jr.
Appointed in 2018, Samour was born in El Salvador and immigrated to the United States at age thirteen after his family fled political upheaval. He graduated from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 1990 and later presided over high-profile criminal cases as a district court judge.
Justice Maria E. Berkenkotter
Sworn in on January 4, 2021, Berkenkotter previously spent more than a decade as a district court judge in the Twentieth Judicial District, serving as chief judge for her final four years there.
Justice Susan Blanco
The court’s newest member, Blanco was appointed on February 17, 2026. She replaced Justice Melissa Hart, who retired from the bench effective January 5, 2026.
How a Justice Reaches the Bench
Colorado fills Supreme Court vacancies through merit selection rather than popular election. When a seat opens, the Supreme Court Nominating Commission runs a public search for qualified candidates. The commission includes one attorney and one non-attorney from each of the state’s seven congressional districts, plus one additional non-attorney member, with the Chief Justice serving as a non-voting chair.
After reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, and taking public comment, the commission sends three finalists to the governor. The governor then has fifteen days to pick one. If the governor doesn’t act in that window, the Chief Justice makes the selection instead, so no vacancy lingers. The new justice is sworn in without a legislative confirmation hearing.
Colorado adopted this system in 1966, and other states have since studied it as a model for reducing partisan politics in judicial selection. To be eligible, a candidate must be a qualified Colorado elector and must have been licensed to practice law in Colorado for at least five years. Every justice must keep Colorado residency throughout the term.
How Long Justices Stay
A newly appointed justice serves a provisional term of two years before facing voters for the first time. At the next general election after that period, the justice’s name appears on the ballot with a single question: “Shall Justice [Name] of the Supreme Court be retained in office?” No opponent runs. A majority of yes votes earns the justice a full ten-year term.
At the end of each ten-year term, a justice who wants to stay must file a declaration of intent with the Secretary of State between three and six months before the next general election. Missing that filing deadline automatically creates a vacancy. If the justice does file, voters again decide whether to retain. There is no cap on how many terms a justice may serve, so long as voters keep approving them.
One limit applies regardless of voter approval. Article VI, Section 23 of the Colorado Constitution requires every justice to retire upon reaching age seventy-two. When a justice hits that age the seat becomes vacant, and the nominating commission starts the selection process over.
Before each retention vote, the Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation reviews the justice using attorney surveys, courtroom observations, opinion reviews, and interviews, then issues a public recommendation of either “meets performance standards” or “does not meet performance standards.” Those reports are available to voters before election day.
What the Court Decides
The Colorado Supreme Court sits at the top of a three-tier system that includes district and county courts at the base and the Colorado Court of Appeals in the middle. As the court of last resort, its main work is deciding appeals that raise important questions of state law or constitutional interpretation. When the court interprets the Colorado Constitution or a state statute, that reading is final unless the constitution itself is amended.
The court also holds exclusive authority over the regulation of legal practice in Colorado. The Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, an independent arm of the court, handles attorney admissions, registration, continuing education, and discipline. The court controls who may practice law in the state and can suspend or disbar attorneys who violate professional conduct rules.
Some matters bypass the Court of Appeals and come straight to the Supreme Court, including cases involving the death penalty, water law, and legislative reapportionment. The court also hears original proceedings, including petitions for extraordinary writs that compel a lower court to act or prohibit it from exceeding its authority.