Justice Nathan B. Coats has been named Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, officials announced Thursday.
The court’s associate justices chose Coats for the job upon the retirement of Chief Justice Nancy E. Rice, who in March announced her retirement after 31-years on the bench. Coats begins his new role on June 30, according to a Colorado Judicial Department news release.
Coats is the 46th member of the court to be named chief justice since Colorado’s 1876 statehood.
“I am pleased and honored my colleagues have entrusted me with this very important role serving the judiciary and Colorado,” said Coats in a news release. “I look forward to continuing to support the initiatives and programs Chief Justice Rice has successfully implemented and to bring forth new projects that will keep Colorado’s judiciary responsive to the state’s needs.”
Coats joined the state Supreme Court in April 2000, after serving for 14 years as chief appellate deputy district attorney for the Second Judicial District in Denver. He also served as a member of the Appellate Section of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
Coats studied economics for his undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado and then earned his law degree from the CU Law School in 1977.
“The Colorado Supreme Court is the state’s court of last resort,” said the Colorado Judicial Department. “Its decisions are binding on all other Colorado state courts.”
The court is made up of seven justices serving 10-year terms, with the chief justice serving as the executive head of the Colorado Judicial Branch. The chief justice also appoints the the chief judge of the Court of Appeals and the chief judge of each of the state’s 22 judicial districts.