[Note: This CJI letter was originally published June 27, 2025, in both the print edition and website of The Gazette (here). Reprinted with permission.]
A recent Perspective, “Above the Law” in the June 15 issue of The Gazette, expressed concern about judicial accountability in Colorado. But it failed to mention that significant reforms to Colorado’s judicial discipline system have been enacted through a collaborative, bipartisan effort.
In 2024, after extensive legislative review and public input, Colorado voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment H. This amendment set up a new Independent Judicial Discipline Adjudicative Board with 12 members: four district court judges, four attorneys, and four citizens chosen by the Supreme Court and the governor with Senate confirmation.
For the first time, judicial discipline hearings are handled by independent panels made up of members of the adjudicative board. Each panel includes one judge, one lawyer, and one citizen, all chosen at random. If a case involves a Colorado Supreme Court justice or there’s a potential conflict, a separate group of seven judges from the lower courts is randomly selected to hear the appeal.
As an organization dedicated to promoting trust in the courts, the Colorado Judicial Institute supports these reforms. It encourages anyone interested in learning more to visit the Colorado General Assembly website to read the original bipartisan legislation (https://bit.ly/HCR23-1001) and the Blue Book analysis of Amendment H (https://bit.ly/Blue-Book-24).
