Colorado Supreme Court
Honorable Brian D. Boatright
Retention Year: 2024
Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards
Reports:
2024 Retention Survey Report (PDF)
2021 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
2017 Interim Survey Report (PDF)
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The State Commission on Judicial Performance finds that Justice Brian D. Boatright MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, by a vote of 8–0 with three recusals. The Colorado statutory judicial performance standards are integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance, and service to the legal profession and the public.
Justice Boatright was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court in 2011 and served as the Chief Justice from January 2021 through July 2024. The Commission finds that he meets the Colorado statutory judicial standards. Justice Boatright did an excellent job in leading the entire Colorado court system, including the Supreme Court during his time as Chief Justice. During his tenure he implemented the “workplace initiative” program and assigned all supreme court justices (including himself) as liaison to specific Colorado Court Administrative Divisions. The Commission finds that Justice Boatright is courteous to all parties in the courtroom and his opinions are well-written and understandable. The Commission feels that Justice Brian D. Boatright is a valuable asset to the Supreme Court and to the State of Colorado Judicial Branch.
The evaluation of Justice Boatright included a personal interview, reviews of a selection of written opinions, a review of his self-evaluation, and a review of survey responses from attorneys and judges. The Justice received an overall score of 3.6 out of 4 from the survey participants, which includes fellow judges and attorneys. To the question if Justice Boatright meets performance standards 79% of attorneys answered yes, 98% of judges answered yes, and 13% of attorneys had no opinion. A total of 19 attorneys and 44 judges responded to the survey.
Justice Boatright was sworn in to the Supreme Court of Colorado in November of 2011. In 2021 he was selected by the members of the supreme court to be the Chief Justice. He is a Colorado native who graduated from Jefferson High School in 1980 and received his undergraduate degree from Westminster College in Fulton, MO in 1988. Justice Boatright received his law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 1988. After work in private practice he joined the First Judicial District, District Attorney’s Office (Jefferson/Gilpin County) from 1990 to 1999. In 1999 he was appointed as District Court Judge where he presided over criminal, civil, domestic, juvenile, probate, and mental health dockets. Justice Boatright’s term of Chief Justice expired in July of 2024. Justice Boatright is active in the community with speaking engagements and attending multiple events during the year that include the Jefferson and Gilpin bar association, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and Leadership Jeffco. He also mentors young lawyers who are interested in becoming judges.