Colorado Supreme Court Justice Monica Márquez was sworn in as the state’s new chief justice Friday.
Márquez takes the reins from Brian Boatright, who served as chief justice during a tumultuous time for the Colorado Judicial Department as the agency was rocked by allegations of blackmail and mismanagement that ultimately led to the public censure of former Chief Justice Nathan Coats, Boatright’s predecessor.
Márquez, who was sworn in during a private ceremony Friday afternoon, was named as Boatright’s successor in 2020, when the Colorado Supreme Court for the first time set term limits for its chief justices.
“Having worked closely with Justice Márquez for nearly 13 years, I can unequivocally say that the Department is in good hands,” Boatright wrote in an email to judicial employees Friday. “She is kind, thoughtful and brilliant. Most importantly, she cares deeply about the well-being of everyone in the branch.”
Boatright served as chief for three-and-a-half years. While in the past chief justices could stay in the role as long as they wanted, the chief justice position now rotates on a set schedule of multi-year terms. Márquez’s successor has not yet been named.
An investigation into the blackmail scandal — in which the leadership of the Colorado Judicial Department was accused of giving a lucrative contract to a former employee in order to keep her from making allegations of misconduct public — found Coats was out-of-touch, easily manipulated and ill-equipped to manage a branch of government.
The judicial department has since taken steps to better support the chief justice, particularly in administrative matters.
Márquez joined the Colorado Supreme Court in 2010 after working as a prosecutor in the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
She grew up in Grand Junction and became the first Latina and openly gay justice to sit on the state’s high court.
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