Colorado Politics reporter Michael Karlik has the scoop on Gov. Jared Polis appointing Eighth Judicial District Chief Judge Susan Blanco as Colorado’s newest Supreme Court justice. The announcement came at the Capitol on Feb. 17, with Polis praising Blanco’s “innovation,” “excellence,” and “operational achievements” in Northern Colorado.
Blanco, 48, has been a district judge since January 2017 and now moves onto a seven-member court that, as Karlik notes, includes several former trial judges and former chief judges. She fills the vacancy created by Justice Melissa Hart’s early departure in January, and the appointment is effective immediately. Blanco will serve until November 2028, when voters will decide whether to retain her for a 10-year term.
Karlik also highlights Blanco’s background and interests: a CSU graduate who later earned her law degree from CU, the daughter of Iranian immigrants, and a former prosecutor, defense attorney, and legal representative for children in neglect cases. She currently leads the Judicial Department’s access-to-justice and information technology committees, and she has spoken openly about the coming need to “govern AI” in the courts to ensure fair trials and fair access.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Polis appointed Susan Blanco, chief judge for the Eighth Judicial District (Larimer and Jackson counties), to the Colorado Supreme Court effective immediately, filling the vacancy left by Justice Melissa Hart.
- Polis says he wanted a strong “operator,” someone hands-on with court administration, and he pointed to Blanco’s operational work in Northern Colorado as the differentiator among the finalists.
- Blanco emphasized access to justice, including what she has seen in rural versus urban resources, and she described doing home visits, jail visits, and appearing in dozens of courtrooms across the state.
- She leads the judicial branch’s access-to-justice and IT committees, helped launch a competency court and a veterans treatment court, and has talked with legislators about issues like livestreaming court proceedings.
- There’s a preview of what’s ahead: a defense attorney recalled Blanco being willing to modify a new “reasonable doubt” jury instruction after constitutional concerns were raised, and Karlik notes the Supreme Court is preparing to hear a challenge involving that same instruction.
My Bottom Line
I have not been a fan of the sitting Colorado Supreme Court justices. I’ve found them to be largely partisan hacks who function like a rubber stamp for this legislature. And yes, every single one of them has been appointed by Democrat governors. That reality is what it is.
Justice Blanco is yet another Polis appointee, but I’ll remain open-minded. It couldn’t get worse. Hey, she’s from Northern Colorado. She’s a Ram. She’s got that going for her. And people I think highly of speak fairly of her. So my mind is open. I know nothing about her rulings or opinions, and I’m sure those will come to bear quickly.
What intrigues me is her interest in technology and administration. As the Weld County Board of Commissioners gets into the weeds of building a new justice center, I’m watching this question closely: can technology be infused in a way that makes courts more efficient, reduces the footprint we need to build, and saves taxpayers real money?
Now, I’m told when I say things like that I’m “meddling in judicial operations,” and that’s not my lane. Fine. But saving you money is my lane. So I’ll keep asking the uncomfortable questions, and I’ll keep watching Colorado’s newest Supreme Court justice with genuine interest.
Source: Colorado Politics
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