Colo. Supreme Court: Gov. Names Aurora Theater Judge

DENVER, CO -- By Shannon Mullane. Gov. John Hickenlooper, cementing his imprint on Colorado’s Supreme Court, on Wednesday appointed Judge Carlos A. Samour Jr. to the state’s highest court.

Samour, formerly District Court Judge for the 18th Judicial District, is perhaps best known for presiding over the Aurora movie theater shooting trial. He is replacing Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Nancy Rice, who announced in March she is retiring after 31 years as a member of the judicial body.

“I will sacrifice, suffer and struggle every day in the pursuit of justice,” Judge Samour said during a news conference at the state Capitol on Wednesday. “I will seek justice every day with tireless expiration and passionate concern. I will do everything within my power to make Colorado proud.”

This marks Hickenlooper’s fifth Colorado Supreme Court Justice appointment to the seven-member panel as the term-limited Democrat prepares to leave office after November’s election. The next governor will be sworn in in January next year.

In a statement, Hickenlooper said Samour complements the Supreme Court both professionally and personally.

“He has presided over some of Colorado’s highest profile cases in recent history and has distinguished himself, without exception, as being fair and impartial regardless of the magnitude of the case,” Hickenlooper said.

Samour, who was a child when he and his family fled impending civil war in their native El Salvador, was among three prospective justices considered for the job. The other two in the running were 2nd Judicial District Judge Karen Brody and former 20th Judicial District Chief Judge Maria Berkenkotter.
Justice Nathan Coats will take over as chief justice.

Samour received his law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. After presiding over People of the State of Colorado v. James Eagan Holmes, Samour became the 2015 Judicial Officer of the Year for “his capable handling of one of the most highly publicized and notorious criminal cases in Colorado history,” according to a Colorado Judicial Branch court release.

Samour is a Columbine High School graduate, and he received both his undergraduate degree with honors from the University of Colorado at Denver. After law school, Samour clerked for Judge Robert McWilliams of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, spent five years in private practice, then became deputy district attorney for 10 years. In 2006, he became District Court Judge of the 18th Judicial District, which includes Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.

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Photo by John Herrick. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper announces the appointment of Judge Carlos Samour Jr. to the Colorado Supreme Court on May 30, 2018 at the Colorado Capitol.

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