# United States District Court for the District of Colorado

The United States District Court for the District of Colorado (in case citations, D. Colo. or D. Col.) is a federal court in the Tenth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
The District was established on June 26, 1876, pending Colorado statehood on August 1, 1876.
As of July 17, 2024, the acting United States attorney for the District is Matthew T. Kirsch.

## Organization of the court

The United States District Court for the District of Colorado is the sole federal judicial district in Colorado. Court for the District is held at Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, and Grand Junction.

## Current judges

As of January 12, 2024:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Term of service | Term of service | Appointed by |
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Active | Chief | Senior | Appointed by |
| 24 | Chief Judge | Philip A. Brimmer | Denver | 1959 | 2008–present | 2019–present | — | G.W. Bush |
| 29 | District Judge | Daniel D. Domenico | Denver | 1972 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 30 | District Judge | Regina M. Rodriguez | Denver | 1963 | 2021–present | — | — | Biden |
| 31 | District Judge | Charlotte Sweeney | Denver | 1969 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 32 | District Judge | Nina Y. Wang | Denver | 1972 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 33 | District Judge | Gordon Gallagher | Grand Junction | 1970 | 2023–present | — | — | Biden |
| 34 | District Judge | Kato Crews | Denver | 1975 | 2024–present | — | — | Biden |
| 12 | Senior Judge | John L. Kane Jr. | Denver | 1937 | 1977–1988 | — | 1988–present | Carter |
| 16 | Senior Judge | Lewis Babcock | Denver | 1943 | 1988–2008 | 2000–2007 | 2008–present | Reagan |
| 21 | Senior Judge | Marcia S. Krieger | Denver | 1954 | 2002–2019 | 2013–2019 | 2019–present | G.W. Bush |
| 22 | Senior Judge | Robert E. Blackburn | Denver | 1950 | 2002–2016 | — | 2016–present | G.W. Bush |
| 25 | Senior Judge | Christine Arguello | Denver | 1955 | 2008–2022 | — | 2022–present | G.W. Bush |
| 26 | Senior Judge | William J. Martínez | Denver | 1954 | 2010–2023 | — | 2023–present | Obama |
| 27 | Senior Judge | R. Brooke Jackson | Denver | 1947 | 2011–2021 | — | 2021–present | Obama |
| 28 | Senior Judge | Raymond P. Moore | Denver | 1953 | 2013–2023 | — | 2023–present | Obama |

## Former judges

| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
| 1 | Moses Hallett | CO | 1834–1913 | 1877–1906 | — | — | Grant | retirement |
| 2 | Robert E. Lewis | CO | 1857–1941 | 1906–1921 | — | — | T. Roosevelt | elevation to 8th Cir. |
| 3 | John Foster Symes | CO | 1878–1951 | 1922–1950 | — | 1950–1951 | Harding | death |
| 4 | William Lee Knous | CO | 1889–1959 | 1950–1959 | 1954–1959 | — | Truman | death |
| 5 | Jean Sala Breitenstein | CO | 1900–1986 | 1954–1957 | — | — | Eisenhower | elevation to 10th Cir. |
| 6 | Alfred A. Arraj | CO | 1906–1992 | 1957–1976 | 1959–1976 | 1976–1992 | Eisenhower | death |
| 7 | Olin Hatfield Chilson | CO | 1903–1991 | 1960–1973 | — | 1973–1991 | Eisenhower | death |
| 8 | William Edward Doyle | CO | 1911–1986 | 1961–1971 | — | — | Kennedy | elevation to 10th Cir. |
| 9 | Fred M. Winner | CO | 1912–2003 | 1970–1982 | 1976–1982 | 1982–1984 | Nixon | retirement |
| 10 | Sherman Glenn Finesilver | CO | 1927–2006 | 1971–1994 | 1982–1994 | 1994 | Nixon | retirement |
| 11 | Richard Paul Matsch | CO | 1930–2019 | 1974–2003 | 1994–2000 | 2003–2019 | Nixon | death |
| 13 | Jim Carrigan | CO | 1929–2014 | 1979–1994 | — | 1994–1995 | Carter | retirement |
| 14 | Zita Leeson Weinshienk | CO | 1933–2022 | 1979–1998 | — | 1998–2011 | Carter | retirement |
| 15 | John Carbone Porfilio | CO | 1934–present | 1982–1985 | — | — | Reagan | elevation to 10th Cir. |
| 17 | Edward Nottingham | CO | 1948–present | 1989–2008 | 2007–2008 | — | G.H.W. Bush | resignation |
| 18 | Daniel B. Sparr | CO | 1931–2006 | 1990–2001 | — | 2001–2006 | G.H.W. Bush | death |
| 19 | Wiley Young Daniel | CO | 1946–2019 | 1995–2013 | 2008–2013 | 2013–2019 | Clinton | death |
| 20 | Walker David Miller | CO | 1939–2013 | 1996–2008 | — | 2008–2013 | Clinton | death |
| 23 | Phillip S. Figa | CO | 1951–2008 | 2003–2008 | — | — | G.W. Bush | death |

## Chief judges

Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.
A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.
When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.

## Succession of seats

Seat 1 :
| Seat established on August 1, 1876 by 19 Stat. 61 ||||
| Hallett | 1877–1906 |
| Lewis | 1906–1921 |
| Symes | 1922–1950 |
| Knous | 1950–1959 |
| Chilson | 1960–1973 |
| Matsch | 1974–2003 |
| Figa | 2003–2008 |
| Jackson | 2011–2021 |
| Sweeney | 2022–present |
Seat 2 :
| Seat established on February 10, 1954 by 68 Stat. 8 ||||
| Breitenstein | 1954–1957 |
| Arraj | 1957–1976 |
| Kane, Jr. | 1977–1988 |
| Babcock | 1988–2008 |
| Brimmer | 2008–present |
Seat 3 :
| Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 ||||
| Doyle | 1961–1971 |
| Finesilver | 1971–1994 |
| Daniel | 1995–2013 |
| Moore | 2013–2023 |
| Crews | 2024–present |
Seat 4 :
| Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294 ||||
| Winner | 1970–1982 |
| Porfilio | 1982–1985 |
| Sparr | 1990–2001 |
| Krieger | 2002–2019 |
| Rodriguez | 2021–present |
Seat 5 :
| Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 ||||
| Carrigan | 1979–1994 |
| Miller | 1996–2008 |
| Arguello | 2008–2022 |
| Wang | 2022–present |
Seat 6 :
| Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 ||||
| Weinshienk | 1979–1998 |
| Blackburn | 2002–2016 |
| Domenico | 2019–present |
Seat 7 :
| Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 ||||
| Nottingham, Jr. | 1989–2008 |
| Martínez | 2010–2023 |
| Gallagher | 2023–present |

## U.S. Attorney

* Theodore D. Edwards 1861
* James E. Dalliba 1861
* Samuel E. Brown 1862
* Lewis C. Rockwell 1870-73
* H. C. Alleman 1873-75
* Charles D. Bradley 1875-77
* W. S. Decker 1877-80
* Edward S. Johnson 1880-82
* Andrew W. Brazee 1882-85
* Henry W. Hobson 1885-89
* John D. Fleming 1889-93
* Henry V. Johnson 1893-97
* Greeley W. Whitford 1897-1901
* Earl M. Cranston 1901-08
* Thomas Ward, Jr. 1908-12
* Harry E. Kelly 1912-14
* Harry B. Tedrow 1914-21
* John Foster Symes 1921-22
* Granby Hillyer 1922-24
* George Stephan 1924-29
* Ralph L. Carr 1929-33
* Thomas J. Morrissey 1933-47
* Ivor Wingren 1947
* Max M. Bulkeley 1947-51
* Charles S. Vigil 1951-53
* Donald E. Kelley 1953-58
* Robert S. Wham 1958-59
* Donald G. Brotzman 1959-61
* Lawrence M. Henry 1961-69
* James L. Treece 1969-77
* Cathlin Donnell 1977
* Joseph F. Dolan 1977-81
* Robert N. Miller 1981-88
* Michael J. Norton 1988-93
* James R. Allison 1993
* Henry Lawrence Solano 1993-98
* Linda A. McMahan 1998-1999?
* Tom Strickland 1999-2001
* John Suthers 2001-2005
* Troy A. Eid 2006-2009
* David Gaouette (acting) 2009-2010
* John F. Walsh 2010-2016
* Robert Troyer 2016-2018
* Jason R. Dunn 2018-2021
* Matthew T. Kirsch (acting) 2021
* Cole Finegan 2021–2024
* Matthew T. Kirsch (acting) 2024–present