Mayor Michael Hancock appointed Judge Spahn to the Denver County Court bench on October 2, 2014. She received her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law; and her undergraduate degree from Metropolitan State College (now known as Metropolitan State University of Denver).
At the time of her appointment Judge Spahn was a partner in private practice with Wedgle & Spahn, P.C., specializing in family law, civil litigation and dispute resolution as a certified mediator.
Prior to private practice, Judge Spahn was the Director of the O’Connor Judicial Selection Initiative. Former Colorado Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Love Kourlis, Executive Director of IAALS at the University of Denver, hired Judge Spahn to launch a national initiative spearheaded by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. She worked shoulder to shoulder with both justices to advance much needed policy reform that guarantees every citizen a right to be heard in a fair and impartial court. Specifically, she worked on policy and with states to adopt a judicial retention system similar to the Colorado model.
Judge Spahn was also the founding Executive Director of the Colorado Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR). She created the OCR which is a nationally recognized state agency that provides Guardian Ad Litem representation to children in the Colorado courts. The agency represented over 19,000 children annually who were the subject of dependency and neglect, domestic relations, delinquency and other case types. She oversaw 250 attorneys statewide while managing a budget of $18 million. She raised the attorney practice standards and implemented zealous legal advocacy for Colorado’s most vulnerable children.
Judge Spahn’s career started as a Domestic Relations Associate with Gene Ciancio. She also served as a District Court Magistrate in the 17th Judicial District, where she heard domestic, dependency and neglect, adoption, other juvenile and criminal (County Court) cases; and she also served as a Deputy District Attorney in Adams and Mesa Counties where she specialized in Crimes against Children and initiated the Sexual Assault against Children Task Force.
Judge Spahn is the member of several professional organizations including the Colorado Woman’s Bar Association, and is a past President of the CWBA. She volunteers her time with many local philanthropic organizations.
Awards
2003 National Association of Counsel for Children Outstanding National Legal Advocacy Award”;
2005 Red Wagon Ball Friend of Children Award from the Advocates for Children;
2005 State of Colorado CASA 2005 Advocate of the Year award;
2006 CASA of Adams and Broomfield Counties 2006 Advocate of the Year;
2007 Boulder County Voices for Children 2007 Advocate award;
2013 CWBA Foundation Child Advocate of the Year.
Judge Spahn is a third generation resident of Denver and enjoys spending time with her family, cooking for her friends and non-profits, and hiking/biking in the great outdoors of Colorado.