Marquez takes supreme court seat

Colorado's 96th supreme court justice took her seat Friday after being sworn in by her father, a retired court of appeals judge.

Monica Marquez replaced Mary Mullarkey on the bench. Mullarkey retired on Nov. 30.

The new justice, 41, is a former deputy attorney general.

She becomes the second Latino justice on the current supreme court, the first Latina ever to sit on the court, Colorado's first openly gay justice, and the third openly gay state supreme court justice in the country.

Marquez's father, Jose D.L. Marquez, administered her oath of office. The elder Marquez also made history as Colorado's first Latino court of appeals judge.

He retired from the state bench in 2008 after 20 years of service.

Mullarkey leaves state supreme court

Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey's long tenure on the state supreme court ended Tuesday.

Mullarkey, who announced her retirement in June, had been a justice since 1987 and chief justice since 1998.

The 66-year old veteran jurist did not offer any public statements about her departure on Tuesday.

Gov. Bill Ritter appointed Monica Marquez, a deputy attorney general, to replace Mullarkey.

Marquez will be sworn in Dec. 10.

Justice Michael Bender has been selected by his colleagues on the high court to be the next chief justice.

Eighth Judicial District Gets New Chief Judge

A veteran trial judge has been appointed by the state's chief justice to serve as the top jurist in the Eighth Judicial District, which includes Jackson and Larimer counties.

Stephen Jon Schapanski of Fort Collins, who has been on the district court bench since 2007, was chosen by chief justice Mary J. Mullarkey to replace retired judge James H. Hiatt as chief judge.

Before taking on his current role as a district court judge, Schapanski was a magistrate for fourteen years in the same district. Before becoming a judge he was in private law practice since 1974. Schapanski's legal expertise was in the areas of domestic relations, civil, juvenile, criminal defense, probate, estate planning, bankruptcy and real estate law.

He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1971 and earned his law degree from Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana in 1974.

Colorado is divided into 22 judicial districts, each with a chief judge. The chief judge serves as the district's senior administrator, responsible for appointing the district administrator, chief probation officer and clerks of the court, assisting in the personnel, financial and case management of the district, and assuring that the business of the courts is conducted efficiently and effectively. A chief judge also makes judicial assignments within the district.

Chief Justice Makes Modest Requests During Biannual Address to Assembly

Colorado Supreme Court chief justice Mary Mullarkey came to the House chamber on Friday for her biannual "State of the Judiciary" address and she did not ask for much.

The veteran jurist, who has been on the court for more than 21 years, urged the General Assembly only to provide some additional probation officers, facilitate improved service at courhouses and provide a few million dollars for furnishings in the new courthouses and courthouse additions.

In 2007 and 2005 Mullarkey sought quite a bit more for the judicial branch, asking the last time she spoke for 63 new judges and enhanced security for courthouses and four years ago for 12 new judges and 104 other new judicial branch employees.

There was a minor controversy surrounding the chief justice's biannual address because some GOP legislators, including Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, have accused the state's highest court of having a bias in favor of the Democratic party. Gardner and several other Republican lawmakers asked Mullarkey to address those allegations in a letter sent to the veteran judge earlier in the week, but Mullarkey did not do so during her speech.

Judicial Branch Imposes Hiring Freeze, Too

The Colorado Judicial Branch today announced that it, too, will reduce spending this fiscal year by imposing a statewide hiring freeze.

Judicial Branch managers will be permitted to finalize the hiring process only if a candidate has been offered and accepted a position by Oct. 3. Positions determined to have a direct and immediate effect on public safety, or the effective operation of the courts, may be approved for hire on an individual basis.

“As one of the three co-equal branches of government, we are always mindful of the need to ensure taxpayers’ funds are used in the most effective and efficient manner possible,” Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey said. “Careful stewardship of those funds, particularly with thought to the future, becomes even more important in these difficult economic times."

The freeze takes effect Oct. 3.