The presiding judge for Denver’s juvenile court retired last week amid an unspecified investigation into his conduct.
Judge D. Brett Woods was suspended Dec. 21 with pay as the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline launched proceedings, court records show. The suspension order did not outline what prompted the investigation, and a spokesperson with the Colorado Judicial Department on Monday said he could not divulge any additional details.
Woods on Thursday alerted Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Brian Boatright of his intention to retire.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve the citizens of Denver County as a judge,” he wrote in a letter obtained by The Denver Post. Woods, reached by phone Monday, said he did not wish to comment on the investigation.
A special master was appointed to oversee the proceedings surrounding Woods’ investigation. On Jan. 18, that judge was discharged, court documents show, though Woods remained suspended from his judicial duties.
A judicial nominating commission will meet next month to interview and select nominees for appointment by the governor to replace Woods.
Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter appointed Woods to the bench in September 2007 and he became Colorado’s first openly gay district court judge. He was appointed presiding judge of Denver District Juvenile Court in 2014.
“To me, it’s not particularly news,” Woods said at the time. “It’s never been an issue before. It’s not going to be an issue. I follow the law.”
The Colorado Court of Appeals in 2022 said Woods violated a mother’s right to a jury trial in a child welfare case when he dismissed jurors after the mother was late for her hearing, Colorado Politics reported.
His performance evaluation that year, compiled through surveys of attorneys and judges, showed he scored “substantially below the average” for district court judges in all categories. Still, the judicial district commission agreed unanimously that Woods “meets performance standards.”
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