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, is Colorado’s first Latina chief justice. She was named as Boatright’s successor in 2020, when the Colorado Supreme Court for the first time set term limits for its chief justices.

“I am deeply grateful to Chief Justice Boatright for his leadership,” Márquez said in a statement. “He has overseen significant changes to the administration of the branch in recent years, and his humble leadership has been a model for all of us. As he now hands me the baton, I am ready to carry forward the momentum his leadership has created. Our highest mission remains serving the people of Colorado and upholding the integrity of the judicial system.”

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.

“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.”

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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Originally Published: July 26, 2024 at 1:46 p.m.