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    Colorado Court of Appeals

    From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 18 min

    The Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center, home of the Colorado Supreme Court and the Colorado Court of Appeals

    The Colorado Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in Colorado. It was established in 1891, abolished in 1905, re-established in 1913, re-abolished in 1917 and established in its current form in 1970. It consists of 22 appointed judges who, after their initial appointment, are then subject to a retention election every eight years thereafter. Their terms end on the second Tuesday in January.[1][2]

    The court is divided into three-judge panels to preside over cases. The chief judge assigns the judges to different divisions and rotates their assignments. The court typically issues its decisions on Thursday mornings, with case announcements posted on the court's website usually by 8:00 a.m.[3]

     
    Colorado Court of Appeals
    Intermediate Appellate Courts Seal-template.png
    Court information
    Judges:   22
    Founded:   1891, 1970[4]
    Salary:  Associates: $212,535[5]
    Judicial selection
    Method:   Assisted appointment
    Term:   8 years

    Jurisdiction[edit]

    Established by Section 1 of Article VI of the Colorado Constitution, the mission of the Colorado Court of Appeals is to "provide the citizens of Colorado with clear, impartial, and timely resolutions of appealed orders and judgments as provided by law."[6]

    The Colorado Court of Appeals hears most of the direct appeals from the Colorado district courts, the Denver Probate Court and the Denver Juvenile Court. It also hears appeals from some of Colorado's administrative agencies. Any review of court of appeals' decisions is conducted by the Colorado Supreme Court.[6]

    Judges[edit]

    Judge Tenure Appointed By

    Gilbert Román

    August 1, 2005 - Present

    Bill Owens

    Elizabeth Harris

    July 1, 2015 - Present

    John Hickenlooper

    Craig Welling

    January 16, 2017 - Present

    John Hickenlooper

    Lino Lipinsky de Orlov

    January 9, 2019 - Present

    John Hickenlooper

    Matthew Grove

    January 9, 2019 - Present

    John Hickenlooper

    Ted C. Tow

    February 12, 2018 - Present

    John Hickenlooper

    Neeti Vasant Pawar

    March 8, 2019 - Present

    Jared Polis

    Jaclyn Casey Brown

    May 31, 2019 - Present

    Jared Polis

    Christina Gomez

    February 27, 2020 - Present

    Jared Polis

    Rebecca Rankin Freyre

    September 21, 2015 - Present

    John Hickenlooper

    Stephanie Dunn

    November 23, 2012 - Present

    John Hickenlooper

    Terry Fox

    September 1, 2010 - Present

    Bill Ritter

    Sueanna Johnson

    February 13, 2020 - Present

    Jared Polis

    David Yun

    March 2, 2020 - Present

    Jared Polis

    Melissa Meirink

    January 14, 2025 - Present

    Jared Polis

    Jerry N. Jones

    July 5, 2006 - Present

    Bill Owens

    Karl Schock

    November 7, 2022 - Present

    Jared Polis

    Katharine Lum

    November 16, 2022 - Present

    Jared Polis

    Grant Sullivan

    January 1, 2024 - Present

    Jared Polis

    W. Eric Kuhn

    July 7, 2021 - Present

    Jared Polis

    Timothy J. Schutz

    January 1, 2022 - Present

    Jared Polis

    Pax Moultrie

    January 1, 2024 - Present

    Jared Polis

    Salary[edit]

    See also: Colorado court salaries and budgets

    In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $212,535, according to the National Center for State Courts.[7]

    Publication of decisions[edit]

    The court issues published and unpublished decisions. It releases its published decisions on alternate weeks and its unpublished decisions every week. Published decisions are made available on the court's website with their full text; the list of unpublished decisions is also made available on that website. An online form on the Court of Appeals' website allows users to request copies of unpublished decisions by email.[8]

    Judicial selection[edit]

    See also: Judicial selection in Colorado

    The 22 judges on the Colorado Court of Appeals are selected through the assisted appointment method. Each judge is appointed by the governor from a list of names compiled by the Colorado Supreme Court Nominating Commission.[9][10]

    Initial terms last at least two years, after which justices must stand for retention in a yes-no election. Subsequent terms last eight years.[9]

    Qualifications[edit]

    To serve on this court, a judge must be:[11]

    • a qualified elector in the state;
    • licensed to practice law in the state for five years; and
    • under the age of 72 (retirement by 72 is mandatory).

    Chief justice[edit]

    The court's chief judge is appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court to serve indefinitely.[12]

    Vacancies[edit]

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

    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 judge's term. A judicial nominating commission recommends to the governor three qualified candidates for an appellate court vacancy (two or three for a trial court vacancy), and the governor selects a successor from that list. After occupying the seat for two years, the newly appointed judge stands for retention in the next general election. The judge then serves a full eight-year term if he or she is retained by voters.[9]

    Elections[edit]

    See also: Colorado intermediate appellate court elections, 2030

    Christina Gomez's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Sueanna Johnson's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Terry Fox's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Neeti Vasant Pawar's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Matthew Grove's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Lino Lipinsky de Orlov's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Jaclyn Casey Brown's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    David Yun's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    See also: Colorado intermediate appellate court elections, 2028

    Ted Tow's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Melissa Meirink's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Craig Welling's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    See also: Colorado intermediate appellate court elections, 2026

    Katherine Lum's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    John Daniel Dailey's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Elizabeth Harris' seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Rebecca Rankin Freyre's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Karl Schock's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    Pax Moultrie's seat


    There are no official candidates yet for this election.


    See also: Colorado intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

    Tim Schutz

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Timothy J. Schutz was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 64.8% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    64.8
     
    		1,558,761
    No
     
    35.2
     
    		846,107
    Total Votes 2,404,868

    The results have been certified. Source

    Stephanie Dunn

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Stephanie Dunn was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 68.6% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    68.6
     
    		1,674,226
    No
     
    31.4
     
    		766,207
    Total Votes 2,440,433

    The results have been certified. Source

    W. Eric Kuhn

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    W. Eric Kuhn was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 67.1% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    67.1
     
    		1,622,478
    No
     
    32.9
     
    		795,393
    Total Votes 2,417,871

    The results have been certified. Source

    Jerry Jones

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Jerry N. Jones was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 60.4% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    60.4
     
    		1,460,408
    No
     
    39.6
     
    		956,221
    Total Votes 2,416,629

    The results have been certified. Source

    Anthony Navarro

    General election

    The general election scheduled for November 5, 2024, was canceled.

    Gilbert Román

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Gilbert Román was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 67.3% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    67.3
     
    		1,624,623
    No
     
    32.7
     
    		787,676
    Total Votes 2,412,299

    The results have been certified. Source

    See also: Colorado intermediate appellate court elections, 2022

    Jaclyn Casey Brown's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Jaclyn Casey Brown was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 70.1% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    70.1
     
    		1,344,611
    No
     
    29.9
     
    		574,223
    Total Votes 1,918,834

    The results have been certified. Source

    Christina Gomez's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Christina Gomez was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 70.0% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    70.0
     
    		1,332,517
    No
     
    30.0
     
    		570,844
    Total Votes 1,903,361

    The results have been certified. Source

    Sueanna Johnson's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Sueanna Johnson was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 70.4% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    70.4
     
    		1,332,304
    No
     
    29.6
     
    		560,890
    Total Votes 1,893,194

    The results have been certified. Source

    Lipinsky's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Lino Lipinsky de Orlov was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 69.2% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    69.2
     
    		1,308,066
    No
     
    30.8
     
    		581,192
    Total Votes 1,889,258

    The results have been certified. Source

    Fox's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Terry Fox was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 69.9% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    69.9
     
    		1,329,981
    No
     
    30.1
     
    		572,292
    Total Votes 1,902,273

    The results have been certified. Source

    David Yun's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    David Yun was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 69.5% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    69.5
     
    		1,308,404
    No
     
    30.5
     
    		574,369
    Total Votes 1,882,773

    The results have been certified. Source

    Pawar's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Neeti Vasant Pawar was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 67.9% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    67.9
     
    		1,281,506
    No
     
    32.1
     
    		605,270
    Total Votes 1,886,776

    The results have been certified. Source

    Grove's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Matthew Grove was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 70.1% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    70.1
     
    		1,324,871
    No
     
    29.9
     
    		565,998
    Total Votes 1,890,869

    The results have been certified. Source

    See also: Colorado intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

    Craig Welling's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Craig Welling was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020 with 70.1% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    70.1
     
    		1,851,221
    No
     
    29.9
     
    		790,433
    Total Votes 2,641,654

    The results have been certified. Source

    Ted Tow's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Ted C. Tow was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020 with 70.8% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    70.8
     
    		1,874,266
    No
     
    29.2
     
    		773,266
    Total Votes 2,647,532

    The results have been certified. Source

    See also: Colorado intermediate appellate court elections, 2018

    Dailey's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    John Daniel Dailey was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 73.8% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    73.8
     
    		1,476,600
    No
     
    26.2
     
    		523,912
    Total Votes 2,000,512

    The results have been certified. Source

    Freyre's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Rebecca Rankin Freyre was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 74.7% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    74.7
     
    		1,495,184
    No
     
    25.3
     
    		506,734
    Total Votes 2,001,918

    The results have been certified. Source

    Harris' seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    Elizabeth Harris was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 63.5% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    63.5
     
    		1,268,530
    No
     
    36.5
     
    		729,496
    Total Votes 1,998,026

    The results have been certified. Source

    Richman's seat

    Colorado Court of Appeals

    David Richman was retained to the Colorado Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 72.9% of the vote.

    Retention Vote
    %
    Votes
    ✔ Yes
     
    72.9
     
    		1,446,472
    No
     
    27.1
     
    		537,887
    Total Votes 1,984,359

    The results have been certified. Source
    Previous election results


    Noteworthy cases[edit]

    The following are noteworthy cases heard before the Colorado Court of Appeals. Know of a case we should cover here? Let us know by emailing us.

    Before the U.S. Supreme Court[edit]

    This section focuses on cases the U.S. Supreme Court heard that originated in this court. To suggest cases we should cover here, email us.

    2022-2023 term[edit]

    See also: Supreme Court cases, October term 2022-2023

    Counterman v. Colorado[edit]

    See also Counterman v. Colorado

    Counterman v. Colorado is a case that was decided by the Supreme Court of the United States on June 27, 2023, during the court's October 2022-2023 term. It was argued before the Supreme Court of the United States on April 19, 2023. The justices were asked to determine how to test whether a statement should be considered a true threat. Specifically, they were asked if a subjective test, showing the speaker intended the statement to be threatening, or if an objective test, showing that a reasonable person would feel threatened by the statement, should be applied.[13][14]

    In a 7-2 opinion, the court affirmed and remanded the judgment of the Colorado Court of Appeals. The court held that in true-threat cases unprotected by the First Amendment, the state has to prove that the defendant had some subjective understanding of the threatening nature of their statements, but the First Amendment requires no more demanding a showing than recklessness. Justice Elena Kagan delivered the opinion of the court.[15]

    2022-2023 Colorado Court of Appeals
    Case Opinion author Decision Vote
    Counterman v. Colorado Elena Kagan affirmed and remanded 7-2

    Ethics[edit]

    The Colorado Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Colorado. It consists of eight overarching canons:

    “
    • Canon 1: "A judge should uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary."
    • Canon 2: "A judge should avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all the judge's activities."
    • Canon 3: "A judge should perform the duties of his or her office impartially and diligently."
    • Canon 4: "A judge is encouraged to engage in quasi-judicial activities to improve the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice."
    • Canon 5: "A judge is encouraged to participate in extra-judicial activities."
    • Canon 6: "A judge should regularly file reports of compensation received for quasi-judicial and extra-judicial activities."
    • Canon 7: "A judge should refrain from political activity inappropriate to his or her judicial office."
    • Canon 8: Applicability of the Colorado Code of Judicial Conduct[16][17]
    		 ”

    The full text of the Colorado Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

    Removal of judges[edit]

    Judges in Colorado may be removed in one of three ways:

    State profile[edit]

    Demographic data for Colorado
     ColoradoU.S.
    Total population:5,448,819316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):103,6423,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:84.2%73.6%
    Black/African American:4%12.6%
    Asian:2.9%5.1%
    Native American:0.9%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
    Two or more:3.5%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:21.1%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:90.7%86.7%
    College graduation rate:38.1%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$60,629$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:13.5%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Colorado.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    Presidential voting pattern[edit]

    See also: Presidential voting trends in Colorado

    Colorado voted for the Democratic candidate in five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

    Pivot Counties (2016)

    Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, four are located in Colorado, accounting for 1.94 percent of the total pivot counties.[19]

    Pivot Counties (2020)

    In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Colorado had three Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 1.66 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

    More Colorado coverage on Ballotpedia

    See also[edit]

    Colorado Judicial Selection More Courts
    Seal of Colorado.png
    Judicialselectionlogo.png
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    Courts in Colorado
    Colorado Court of Appeals
    Colorado Supreme Court
    Elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017
    Gubernatorial appointments
    Judicial selection in Colorado
    Federal courts
    State courts
    Local courts

    External links[edit]

    Footnotes[edit]

    1. ↑ Ballotpedia, "Colorado Constitution, Article VI, Section 20," accessed May 8, 2015
    2. ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Court of Appeals Directory," January 24, 2014
    3. ↑ Colorado Appeals Blog, "Information about the Colorado appellate court," December 13, 2010
    4. ↑ The Colorado Court of Appeals was first established in 1891, but was abolished and re-established up to 1970, when it was established in its current form.
    5. ↑ The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Colorado Judicial Branch, "Court of Appeals," accessed May 8, 2015
    7. ↑ National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025
    8. ↑ Colorado Judicial Branch, "Future Case Announcements," accessed September 9, 2015
    9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Colorado Judicial Branch, "Judicial Nominating Commissions," accessed March 28, 2023
    10. ↑ Colorado Judicial Branch, "Court of Appeals," accessed March 28, 2023
    11. ↑ Colorado Judicial Branch, "What it takes to become a Judge," accessed March 28, 2023
    12. ↑ Colorado Judicial Branch, "Colorado Supreme Court," accessed March 28, 2023
    13. ↑ SCOTUSblog, "Relist-palooza: Religious exercise, the False Claims Act, takings clause, RICO, bank secrecy, and more," January 11, 2023
    14. ↑ The Supreme Court of the United States, "BILLY RAYMOND COUNTERMAN, PETITIONER v. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO ON PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE COLORADO COURT OF APPEALS, DIVISION II REPLY BRIEF FOR THE PETITIONER," October 26, 2022
    15. ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, "Counterman v. Colorado - Certiorari to the Court of Appeals of Colorado," accessed June 28, 2023
    16. ↑ Colorado Judicial Branch, "Colorado Code of Judicial Conduct," accessed August 20, 2025
    17. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    18. ↑ National Center For State Courts, "Removal of Judges: Colorado," accessed May 9, 2015
    19. ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

    Colorado courts

    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

    Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Original source: https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado_Court_of_Appeals
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