This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Before being appointed in 2017 by then Gov. John Hickenlooper, she was a professor at the University of Colorado Law School, where she directed the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law.
In January 2026, Hart stepped down from the bench after a nearly two month leave of absence. In her resignation letter, she cited health concerns stemming from two concussions she experienced in 2025.
While she was a justice, she taught at the University of Colorado Law School and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
Hart told CPR in December that she hoped to stay involved with teaching in some way.
In reflecting on her time on the bench, she said she was proud of the court’s reforms in making legal issues more accessible like having forms with “plain language” and the state’s self-represented litigant coordinators.
Hart was also a supporter of the state’s first licensed legal paraprofessional program.
“Her colleagues will remember her wisdom, her warmth, and her devotion to the work of the Court. Justice Hart’s legacy will leave a lasting impact on those who knew her,” the judicial branch wrote announcing the news.
Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that on the day of her memorial, flags would fly at half staff. A date for that memorial has not been released.
“Justice Hart was a leader in family law and access to justice, and I am grateful for her service to the state and her judicial commitment to fairness and equality,” he said in a statement.
A cause of death has not been released.
