Today, Governor Jared Polis announced that Susan Blanco has been appointed as the newest justice to the Colorado Supreme Court.
“Our Constitution is the bedrock of our democracy and protects our fundamental freedoms.The Justices of our Colorado Supreme Court have the weighty task of upholding our Constitution and the rule of law. Our courts are also a key part of making Colorado one of the ten safest states. Today, I’m excited to appoint Susan Blanco to serve as the newest Justice on the Colorado Supreme Court. Throughout her almost decade on the bench, Justice Blanco has created a track record of serving with compassion, justice, and innovation, and I am confident she will be a thoughtful, fair, and forward-thinking justice on our highest court. I look forward to her contributions to strong leadership of the judicial branch to help achieve operational excellence in our courts across the state,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.
Blanco was previously the chief judge of the state’s 8th Judicial District, which includes Larimer and Jackson counties. She also chaired two committees to the Colorado Supreme Court: the Pathways to Access Committee and the Information Technology Committee.
The 8th District, under Blanco’s leadership, was the first in the state to launch a “competency docket” program to help connect people accused of crimes with mental health services if they cannot contribute to their own defense or understand the court proceedings they are going through. Other districts picked up the program after seeing its success in the 8th District.
Blanco studied at Duke University, the University of Colorado Law School, and Colorado State University. Blanco fills the vacancy left by Justice Melissa Hart, and will serve until November 2028 when she will face a retention election.