DENVER — The Denver County Court Judicial Nominating Commission is now accepting applications from qualified attorneys to fill two vacancies on the Denver County Court Bench. The Commission will convene in August and September 2026 to interview candidates and select nominees for appointments by Mayor Mike Johnston.
These vacancies result from the passing of Judge Andre Rudolph and the resignation of Judge Barry Schwartz, both of the Denver County Court Bench.
Judge Rudolph was appointed to the Bench in 2006, dedicating two decades of service to the Denver County Court and the citizens of Denver, and was the most senior judge on the Bench at the time of his passing. He began his legal career in 1993 as a deputy state public defender, a role in which he quickly distinguished himself, earning the Lowrey Kelley Memorial Boot Camp Award as the state’s outstanding young public defender in 1995. In 1999, he was appointed as a magistrate in the Denver District Court, serving on the drug court bench at a time when Denver operated one of the first and largest drug courts in the country, work for which he was later named Drug Court Employee of the Year. He also served as a magistrate in the 17th Judicial District before joining the Denver County Court. On the bench, Judge Rudolph presided over municipal and state criminal proceedings and built a reputation for being knowledgeable, well-prepared, and exceptionally relatable. He also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and was honored with the Sam Cary Bar Association’s Distinguished Jurist Award. Judge Rudolph has been posthumously honored by the Hispanic Bar Association with a Judicial Excellence Award. Judge Rudolph leaves behind a legacy of dedicated public service, and his passing is felt deeply throughout the Denver County Court; his dedication and years of service will long be remembered.
Judge Barry Schwartz was appointed to the Bench in 2016, dedicating ten years of service to the Denver County Court and the citizens of Denver. He earned his Juris Doctor in 1988 from the University of Denver College of Law and went on to perform legal research for the Colorado Court of Appeals. He later practiced complex litigation in private practice before becoming an Assistant Federal Public Defender in 2010, drafting criminal appeals before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2013, he joined the Denver City Attorney’s Office as a Senior Attorney in the litigation section, focusing on tort and civil rights matters and representing numerous Denver agencies and employees, including the Denver Police Department, the Denver Sheriff Department, the Department of Public Works, and Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre. Judge Schwartz presided over the Court’s civil division for many years before moving to municipal and criminal courtrooms. Judge Schwartz’s years of service to the Denver County Court Bench are deeply appreciated.
The current salary for a Denver County Court Judge is $227,555.37. Applicants for these positions must be qualified electors of the City and County of Denver at the time of application, licensed as an attorney at law in the State of Colorado, and have a minimum of five years’ experience as a practicing attorney. Each appointment will be for a provisional term of two years, with retention for a regular four-year term determined at the first November General Election following the provisional term.
Completed applications must be emailed to dccjudicialapplications@denvercountycourt.org, no later than August 5, 2026 by 4:00 p.m. Late applications will not be considered. Applications will be kept confidential, except that the Nominating Commission will publicly disclose the names of nominees submitted to the Mayor, and the nominees’ full applications will be forwarded to the Mayor. For additional information or an application, please contact the Presiding Judge’s Office at 1437 Bannock Street, Room 108, or call 720-865-7870.
Please see the DCC Commissions Page page to apply.
NOTE: The application form has been modified by approval of the Commission.
Members of the Judicial Nominating Commission:
Kristin Bronson, Commission Chair
Simon Tafoya
Nathaniel Easley
Janet Drake
Chris Castilian
Dimonique McGruder
Barbara Archer
Presiding Judge Kerri Lombardi, Ex-Officio