Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Brian Boatright has appointed district court Judge Christopher Baumann to serve as chief judge of the Denver District Court in the Second Judicial District.
Baumann replaces Judge Michael Martinez who was appointed to the district court in 2000 and was named chief judge in 2013. Baumann’s appointment will be effective upon Martinez’s retirement on Sept. 1.
“Chief Judge Martinez has had a distinguished 28-year career on the bench and is to be commended for his vast contributions to the judiciary,” Boatright said in a statement. “He will be missed by many and we wish him well in his retirement.”
Baumann was appointed to the bench in 2017 by former Gov. John Hickenlooper.
“I am pleased to appoint Judge Baumann to this important role,” Boatright stated. “I am confident he has the characteristics necessary to be a successful leader and I look forward to working with him.”
Prior to his appointment, Baumann was the office head and deputy state public defender for the Denver Office of the State Public Defender. He began working for the office in 2002 in the Greeley and Arapahoe county offices until being named head of the Denver office in 2010.
He has also served as an assistant attorney general in the civil litigation/employment law section. Baumann was a staff attorney in the Supreme Court of Louisiana from 2000 to 2001. He was a member of the United States Army Reserve from 1994 to 2002, and served in the Ready Reserve from 1994 to 1997. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado, and his J.D. from Tulane University.