Alex J. Martinez Explained

Alex J. Martinez
Office:Associate Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court
Term Start:January 1997
Term End:October 31, 2011
Appointer:Roy Romer
Predecessor:Howard Kirshbaum
Successor:Brian Boatright
Office1:Judge of the Tenth Judicial District of Colorado (Pueblo County)
Term Start1:1988
Term End1:1996
Appointer1:Roy Romer
Office2:Judge of the Pueblo County Court
Term Start2:1983
Term End2:1988
Appointer2:Richard Lamm
Birth Name:Alex Joseph Martinez
Birth Date:19 April 1951
Birth Place:Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Education:Phillips Exeter Academy
Reed College
University of Colorado (BA, JD)
Spouse:Kathy[1]

Alex Joseph Martinez[2] (born April 19, 1951) is an American attorney who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Colorado from 1996 to 2011.

Born in Denver, Colorado, Martinez attended Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado in 1973, followed by a Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado Law School in 1976.[3]

Martinez was a deputy state public defender in Denver from 1976 to 1979. when he relocated to Pueblo, Colorado to supervise state public defender's office there. In 1983, Governor Richard Lamm appointed Martinez to a county court judge seat in Pueblo County, and in 1988 Governor Roy Romer appointed Martinez as a district court judge in Colorado's Tenth Judicial District. In September 1996, Romer elevated Martinez to the Supreme Court of Colorado.[3]

Martinez was retained on the court in 2000, and again in a strongly contested process in 2010.[4] He resigned from the court in 2011 to accept a post as Manager of Safety for the city of Denver.[5] Shortly after entering into this position, Martinez engendered some controversy by referring to a critical review of the police department as "nitpicky", although the comment endeared Martinez to the police.[6] He left that position in 2013.[7] From 2013 to 2016, he served as the General Counsel of the Denver Public School District.

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20090530010101/http://www.courts.state.co.us/Bio.cfm/Employee_ID/66 Archived Colorado Supreme Court Bio
  2. Web site: Attorney Information.
  3. Colorado Judicial Branch, "Colorado Supreme Court Justice Alex Martinez to be honored by Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at annual gala" (October 17, 2003).
  4. News: Four Supreme Court justices face a tough vote in elections. Felisa. Cardona. The Denver Post. February 14, 2010.
  5. Web site: Colorado Supreme Court Justice Alex J. Martinez to Resign after Accepting New Position. Zachary. Willis. Colorado Bar Association. August 26, 2011.
  6. News: Denver Manager of Safety Alex Martinez trades black robes for thick skin. Tom. McGhee. The Denver Post. March 10, 2012.
  7. News: Garcia . Hannah . March 16, 2016 . DPS Names New General Counsel With Retirement of Alex Martinez . . . December 16, 2019.