Colorado State Archives

Executive Orders from the Administration of Governor Bill Owens 1999-2005

 DENVER – Governor Bill Owens today appointed Juanita Leah Rice as district court judge in the 18^th Judicial District, which includes Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln Counties. This vacancy was created by an additional position created by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor.

"Ms. Rice’s experience as a magistrate and her expertise with juvenile and domestic law will serve the court well," said Gov. Owens. "She has earned a reputation as one of Colorado’s most innovative and effective experts on juvenile justice, and will be an outstanding addition to the bench."

Juanita Rice has served as a district court magistrate in the 18^th Judicial District since 1997, and served in a similar position for the 4^th J.D.from 1987 to 1995. Between 1995 and 1997, Rice was a senior legal advisor for the Cambodian Court Training Project in Kampot Province, where she helped train judicial officers in that war-torn country. Prior to joining the judiciary in 1987, she was in private practice.

Rice received the Child Support Enforcement Partnership Award this year and is chair of the diversity committee of the Arapahoe County Bar Association. She served as president of the Pikes Peak Children’s Advocates in 1986 and was appointed to the El Paso County Placement Alternatives Commission from 1988 to 1994.

The annual salary for this position is $86,090. The initial term of office for a district court judge is a provisional term of two years, after which the incumbent must run for election to serve an additional six years.

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