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William Hood Will Be Colorado’s Next Supreme Court Justice

Bente Birkeland
/
RMCR
William Hood and his wife look on as Gov. Hickenlooper announces his appointment, Oct. 25.

Governor John Hickenlooper announced the appointment of William Hood to the bench Friday afternoon. Hood is filling the place of retiring chief justice John Bender.

"I want to uphold the law and serve the people of Colorado," said Hood.

Governor Hickenlooper praised Hood for his experience and fairness in interpreting the law.

"I want to uphold the law and serve the people of Colorado."

"He has a broad experience as a prosecutor, criminal defense attorney and civil litigator," Hickenlooper said.

The Governor did say it was the most evenly divided selection process he’s ever made, and that each of the three finalists had great qualifications. He says Hood ultimately stood out.

“I’m a great believer that you have the best results when you have a diversity of opinions,” said Hickenlooper. “He’s had more direct business experience than the other candidates.”

Judge Hood is currently a District Court Judge in the City and County of Denver’s 2nd Judicial District. He’s also an adjunct law professor at the University Of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Bente Birkeland is an award-winning journalist who joined Colorado Public Radio in August 2018 after a decade of reporting on the Colorado state capitol for the Rocky Mountain Community Radio collaborative and KUNC. In 2017, Bente was named Colorado Journalist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and she was awarded with a National Investigative Reporting Award by SPJ a year later.
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