Colorado
Colorado’s highest court is the Colorado Supreme Court. The court has six associate justices and one chief justice, who is selected by majority vote of the supreme court justices. (Source: Colorado Supreme Court; Colorado Constitution)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints Colorado Supreme Court justices from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least two years on the court, the justice stands in an unopposed yes/no retention vote in Colorado’s next general election. Justices serve 10-year terms and can stand for additional terms through retention elections. The governor fills interim vacancies from a list provided by the judicial nominating commission. The mandatory retirement age is 72.
State Constitution
Colorado’s first and only constitution was adopted in 1876. As of January 1, 2024, it had 169 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
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Voters Across the Country Amend Their Constitutions
Through ballot measures, voters expressed policy preferences on issues including abortion, drug legalization, and same-sex marriage.
Voters in Seven States Pass Measures to Protect Abortion
Abortion-rights ballot measures failed in three other states, including Nebraska, where voters instead amended the constitution to limit abortion access.
2024 Ballot Measures to Watch
Voters will decide whether to amend their state constitutions with measures focusing on abortion, election procedures, minimum wage policy, and more.
2024 Ballot Measures That Could Impact State Courts
Voters in key states will consider judicial retirement ages and ethics.
A Rallying Cry Against Lockstepping
When state supreme courts peg their constitutions to federal interpretations, they erode the rule of law, undermine federalism, and limit rights protection.
Is a Life Sentence for 'Felony Murder' Unconstitutional?
The Pennsylvania high court heard oral arguments about whether the sentence violated the state constitution the same week that Colorado’s supreme court rejected similar claims.
Pennsylvania Faces a Moment of Truth for Life Without Parole
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is considering whether requiring life in prison without the possibility of parole for so-called felony murder is unconstitutional.
Colorado Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to ‘Felony-Murder’ Rule
The court disagreed that life in prison for a murder committed by an accomplice is an unconstitutionally cruel sentence.