Editorials

Published October 23, 2026 5:00am

A troubling takeaway from The Gazette’s investigative coverage of the pay-for-silence scandal involving the state Supreme Court several years ago was the lack of transparency and accountability in Colorado’s court system. Not only does a lot of court business occur behind closed doors, but when malfeasance is uncovered, there isn’t much that can be done to hold those who sit on the bench fully answerable.

One thing Coloradans can do, though, is to make use of a power the citizens hold over judges — by way of the ballot. Under Colorado law, all judges, including those who serve on the state’s top court, are appointed to their posts by the governor.…