b'POLITICSCourts Should Reflect The Communities They ServeBy Hon. Gary JacksonI n2018Coloradocamecloseto having zero Black judges on the DistrictandAppellateCourts.It GMDMA Endorses John Hickenlooper for US Senate was not until 1957 that Colorado haditsfirstnon-whitejudgeon A sthepresidentoftheGreaterhealth, and prison system. Its time toany level.Denver Mayor William MetroDenverMinisterialflip the Senate and elect leaders whoF.NicholsonappointedJamesC. Alliance, its my pleasure to announcehave a track record of lifting everyoneFlanigan,thegrandsonofslaves, oursupportofJohnHickenlooperup. That is John Hickenlooper. We lookto the Denver Municipal Court after forUSSenate,saidBishopJerryforward to working side by side withserving eight years as Denvers first Demmer,PresidentofGreaterMetrohimagaininthenearfutureasourBlack district attorney. Nine years Denver Ministerial Alliance and Pastornext US Senator for Colorado. later,JudgeFlanaganbecame atAbsoluteWordChurch.Heisa"Former Governor John HickenlooperColoradosfirstAfrican-American provenleaderandhasconsistentlyhas a proven record of standing up forDistrictCourtJudge.Today,we partnered with the Ministerial AllianceColoradofamilies,especiallyvictimshave a serious problem thathas tosolveanddiscusshardproblemsofcrime,saidDr.MarjorieLewis,astarted to be addressed.likehealthcare,gunviolence,andmember of the Alliance. As a ministerGary Jacksonpolice brutality. He has the vision weand psychologist, Im proud to standAsofOctober2018,sixty-one needtomoveournationandstatewith him and his commitment to theyearsafterJudgeFlanagans forward.healing,growthandrecoveryoftheappointment,outofthe181state of Colorado.AsfounderoftheGreaterMetroAfrican American community.District Court Judges in the state Denver Ministerial Alliance and one ofI am honored to have the endorse- ofColorado,therewasstillonlyToday,IapplaudtheCBA/CJI the oldest black pastors in the state,mentoftheGreaterMetroDenverone Black District Court judge, theand its coordinating partners and Im proud to stand side by side withMinisterialAlliance,alongstandingHon.WilliamRobbinsofDenver,especiallyGovernorJaredPolis John Hickenlooper, said Bishop Acenpillar of the Denver community, saidandhehadjustannouncedhisforappointingJillDorancyto Phillips, Founder of the Greater MetroJohn Hickenlooper. I sincerely appre- retirement.Judge Robbins was thetheDenverDistrictCourtBench. Denver Ministerial Alliance. As a free- ciate their steadfast support, partner- only Black judge on a District CourtTheHon.Dorancyisthedaugh-domfighter,Iwalkedandmarchedship, friendship, and guidance over thein our 22 judicial districts and 64terofHaitianimmigrants,the with Martin Luther King Jr., workingpast two decades. Together, we workedcounties in the state of Colorado.PresidentElectoftheSamCary forjusticeandequality.Iendorsedto implement some of the first-of-its- A few months later, the Hon. KarenBarAssociation(theAssociation andwalkedwithJohnwhenherankindpolicereformandotherimpor- AshbyoftheColoradoCourtofofBlacklawyersandjudgesin for Mayor of Denver, Governor of ourtant initiatives in our city and state. IfAppeals announced her retirement.Colorado),apracticingoiland great state, and now. We need John inelected to the Senate, I will continueShe was the only Black Appellategas lawyer and citizen-advocate of the Senate; we cant afford another 4to rely on their wisdom to deliver theCourtjudgeandjustices,outofDenverforthelasttwodecades. years of more inequity in our schools,change we need. 29.The population demograph- Governor Polis selection of Judge icsofAurora,Denver,ColoradoDorancyisthefifthBlackfemale Springs and Pueblo reveal that thejudge that he has appointed since vast number of our Black citizensJanuary 2020.Those other nota-resideinthosefourcities.Theble judges are:lackofjudicialdiversityextends Hon. Frances Johnson, El Paso toHispanic-American,Native- County District Court American,andAsian-American communities as well as to women. Hon.NikeaBland,Denver The possibility of having zero BlackDistrict Court, former Colorado judgesontheColoradoDistrictState Public DefenderCourtandAppellateCourtswas HonPaxMoultrie,Denver very real. JuvenileCourt,former The disproportion of minority rep- MagistrateinJefferson resentation in the Judicial BranchCountyismorethanjustanembarrass-Hon.SamorreyanBurney,El menttoourbarassociation,toPasoCounty,formersenior thelegalprofession,andtothedeputy,ElPasoDistrict citizensofColorado.TomaintainAttorney Officearepresentativedemocracy,and a strong republic, all branches ofKudostoGovernorPolis,the municipal, city, county, state, andNominating Commissioners for the federalgovernmentmustreflectDenver and El Paso counties, and the diversity of its citizens. Of ourtothecitizensofDenverandEl three branches of government, thePaso who are receiving the judicial peoplehavethemostdirectandwisdom of these five Black women. frequentcontactwiththejudicialToday,theJudiciaryofDenver branch, making diversity an abso- andElPasorepresentsaclearer lute necessity under the first, fifth,reflectofthecitizensinwhichit sixth,fourteenth,andfifteenthserves.OurCBA/CJIleadership amendments.will continue its work until Adams, As a member of the judiciary, IArapahoe and Pueblo counties have see it as my responsibility to not letBlack judges on their Benches and this situation go unchallenged.Theall Colorado counties have judges Colorado Bar Association and thewhich reflect the strong diversity of ColoradoJudicialInstitute(CBA/ its population.CJI)InitiativebeganitsDiversityAsaresidentofDenverfor74 on the Bench Initiative in the Fallyears,aproductoftheDenver of2019toaddressthedreadedPublicSchools,graduateofthe costsofracialandgenderbiasUniversity of Colorado and its Law thatimpactsourCourtsystemsSchool, and a lawyer and judge for throughoutthestateofColorado.50years,Icalloneverymember Simplystated,themissionoftheof the legal profession and the citi-Diversity on the Bench Initiative iszens of Colorado to take a proactive to increase the percentage of indi- and vocal stand to ensure that our viduals of color and enhance gen- Colorado Courts should reflect the der diversity on the judicial benchcommunities in which they serve.throughout the 64 counties in the 8 JUNE 2020 BOCNEWS.com'