§ 13-5.3-101 — Definitions

Colorado § 13-5.3-101

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 13: Courts
• Art.: Commission on Judicial Discipline

Text

As used in this article 5.3, unless the context
otherwise requires:

(1) Attorney means a person admitted to practice law before the courts of
this state.

(2) Code means the Colorado code of judicial conduct.

(3) Commission means the commission on judicial discipline, established
pursuant to section 23 (3) of article VI of the Colorado constitution.

(4) Commissioner means an appointed member of the commission on
judicial discipline or a special member appointed pursuant to section 23 (3)(a) of
article VI of the Colorado constitution.

(5) Complaint means information in any form from any source that alleges
or from which a reasonable inference can be drawn that a judge committed
misconduct or is incapacitated.

(6) Department means the Colorado state judicial department and all its
subparts, such as the office of the state court administrator; the office of the chief
justice of the supreme court; the judicial districts and their administrations,
including chief judges and district administrators; the human resources
department; and other administrative subparts.

(7) Executive director means the executive director of the office of judicial
discipline appointed pursuant to section 13-5.3-103.

(8) Fund means the commission on judicial discipline special cash fund,
created in section 13-5.3-104.

(9) (a) Judge means any justice or judge of any court of record of this state
serving on a full-time, part-time, or senior basis.

(b) Judge also includes any justice or judge who has retired within the
jurisdictional limits for disciplinary proceedings established by this article 5.3, the
commission, or the Colorado supreme court.

(c) Judge does not include municipal judges or magistrates, administrative
law judges, or Denver county court judges, who are subject to different disciplinary
authorities.

(9.5) Judicial discipline adjudicative board means the judicial discipline
adjudicative board created pursuant to section 23 (3) of article VI of the Colorado
constitution to conduct formal judicial disciplinary proceedings.

(10) Justice means a justice serving on the supreme court of Colorado on
either a full-time or senior basis.

(11) Misconduct means conduct by a judge that may reasonably constitute
grounds for discipline under the code, the Colorado rules of judicial discipline, or
section 23 (3) of article VI of the Colorado constitution.

(12) Office means the office of judicial discipline established in section 13-5.3-103.

(13) Office of the state court administrator means the office created
pursuant to section 13-3-101 (1).

(13.5) Panel means a three-member panel of the judicial discipline
adjudicative board consisting of one judge, one attorney licensed to practice in
Colorado, and one citizen, convened pursuant to section 23 (3) of article VI of the
Colorado constitution upon an order of a formal hearing or to hear an appeal of an
order of informal remedial action.

(14) Rules means the Colorado rules of judicial discipline.

(15) Supreme court means the supreme court of the state of Colorado
established pursuant to article VI of the Colorado constitution.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2022: Entire article added, (SB 22-201), ch. 201, p. 1345, � 2, effective May 20. L. 2023: (9.5) and (13.5) added, (HB 23-1019), ch. 366, p. 2198, � 1, effective December 17, 2024 (see editor's note).