COJD STATEMENT

After 50 years in the legal profession, William Campbell announced his plan to retire at the end of 2021. In 2009, Mr. Campbell brought his four decades of experience in the law to the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline when he became its Executive Director. Mr. Campbell brought many innovations to the Commission. The most publicly visible improvement is Mr. Campbell’s expansion of the Commission's annual report, which serves to educate the public on the work of the Commission. All of the members of the Commission join in thanking Mr. Campbell for his dedication and tireless service to the People of Colorado in his role as executive director.

In the fall of 2021, the Commission invited interested individuals to submit applications. After a review and interview process, the Commission selected Christopher Gregory to succeed Mr. Campbell at the Executive Director. Mr. Gregory began his new role as Executive Director on January 3, 2022.

Christopher Gregory’s background and experience include the following:

From 2008-2021, Mr. Gregory owned and managed the Gregory Law Firm, LLC. His practice focused on appellate, complex criminal defense, and child welfare matters. Previously, Mr. Gregory served as a public defender in Hilo, Hawai’i and Trinidad, Colorado. Mr. Gregory’s experience also includes general civil and administrative litigation, having worked on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. While in law school, Mr. Gregory worked as an extern-law clerk for Justice R. William Riggs of the Oregon Supreme Court. Mr. Gregory was appointed by Governor John Hickenlooper to serve as a member of the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline from May 15, 2017 until June 30, 2021. During his appointment, Mr. Gregory served as a Commissioner, Vice-Chair, and Chair. Mr. Gregory earned bachelor’s degrees from Whitman College in 1999 and Western State College (now Western Colorado University) in 2000 and 2012. Mr. Gregory earned his J.D. from Willamette University College of Law in 2003. Mr. Gregory is admitted to practice in Colorado, Oregon, and Hawai’i.

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In 1966, the electorate amended the Colorado Constitution, effective Jan. 17, 1967, to establish the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline. Article VI, Section 23(3)(d), authorizes the Commission to discipline the judiciary of courts of record for willful misconduct, willful or persistent failure to perform duties, intemperance, or violations of the ethics principles in the Canons of the Colorado Code of Judicial Conduct; retire a judge for a disability which is or is likely to become of a permanent character; and, if necessary, recommend that the Supreme Court remove a judge from office.

While the Canons guide a judge's professional conduct in the courtroom and, in certain instances, outside the courtroom, applicable law controls a judge's decisions on matters that are presented to the court for resolution. Disputes about a judge's rulings remain under the jurisdiction of the trial and appellate courts.

The Commission has jurisdiction over the conduct of Judges of County and District Courts, Judges of the Court of Appeals, and Justices of the Supreme Court. It has no jurisdiction regarding the conduct of magistrates, court staff, lawyers, law enforcement officers, the Department of Corrections, municipal judges, administrative law judges, or the federal judiciary.