Nancy E. Rice, the chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, announced Wednesday that she will retire in June after spending nearly 20 years as a member of the body, giving outgoing Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper his fifth pick on the seven-judge panel.
“It’s the greatest honor of my life to have served Colorado as a judge for most of my career,” Rice said in a written statement. “I’m extremely proud of our system of justice in Colorado, which serves as a model for the nation in just and efficient outcomes. This wouldn’t be possible without our thousands of dedicated judicial officers and employees. I will sincerely miss being a part of this great system.”
Rice, 67, was appointed to the state’s most powerful court in 1998 and was selected by her fellow Supreme Court judges to become chief justice in 2013.
Before joining the Supreme Court, Rice was a district court judge in Denver and an assistant U.S attorney. She served, as well, as a deputy state public defender focusing on appellate cases.
Her last day at the court is June 30.
“Chief Justice Rice’s leadership has helped bring about significant progress in numerous aspects of Colorado’s judicial system,” State Court Administrator Christopher T. Ryan said in a statement. “In the many years I’ve known and worked with her, she’s been a staunch supporter of our efforts to ensure everybody has access to the justice system and has worked tirelessly to support many initiatives to improve the system.”
Her departure marks yet another shakeup for the Colorado Supreme Court in the past 12 months.
“I think it could have a pretty significant impact for a couple of reasons,” said Christopher Jackson, an appellate lawyer at the Denver firm of Sherman & Howard who is a close follower of the Colorado Supreme Court. “…There are a lot of committees and organizations that the chief justice was involved in that have impact.”
Jackson also pointed out that Rice, as chief justice, leads the entire judicial branch. Not to mention that he says her departure was “a little unexpected” and that she will be the second justice to leave the Colorado Supreme Court in recent months.
Chief Justice Rice's departure is a *big* change for Colorado. The Court will have 2 new justices appointed within a year AND a new chief, who heads the entire judicial branch. #copolitics #coappeals
— Christopher Jackson (@COAppeals) March 7, 2018
Allison Eid, a conservative jurist, left the panel after she was tapped last year by President Donald Trump to serve on the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Hickenlooper chose University of Colorado law professor Melissa Hart to fill her seat, adding another left-leaning voice to the court.
The Colorado Supreme Court nominating commission will soon start to interview applicants to fill Rice’s position. Hickenlooper will then choose one of three finalists for appointment to the court.
The Colorado Judicial Department says the court’s judges will select a new chief justice to begin serving in that capacity upon Rice’s departure.
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