Timothy J. Schutz at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Colorado · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Timothy J. Schutz
Judge · Colorado Court of Appeals
Biography
Professional career
- In November of 2021, Judge Schutz was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals by Governor Jared Polis, with an effective date of January 1, 2022
- To that end, Judge Schutz has been a frequent writer and communicator on issues surrounding race and the justice system
- Judge Schutz has also been extensively involved in access to justice issues at a local and statewide level
- Working with members of the Bench and Bar, as well as local stakeholders, Judge Schutz has endeavored to make our court’s more accessible to all citizens, regardless of their economic circumstances or station in life
- During his eleven years in the trial court, Judge Schutz managed active criminal, civil, juvenile, and domestic dockets
Education
- Appointment Date: January 1, 2022 Timothy J. Schutz received his Juris Doctorate, with distinction, from the University of North Dakota in 1987.
Additional information
- Judge Schutz co-chaired the Fourth Judicial District Minority Overrepresentations Committee from 2012 until 2020.
- Appointed to the El Paso County District Court bench by Governor Ritter, effective November 1, 2010.
- In 1991, he joined Richard W. Hanes and soon thereafter the two formed the law firm of Hanes & Schutz.
- These opportunities have been central to Judge Schutz’s service as a judicial officer.
- While in law school, he served as Editor in Chief of the North Dakota Law Review, and was selected to membership in the Order of the Coif.
- Timothy J. Schutz has presided over criminal trials ranging from allegations of simple assault to first degree murder.
- Upon his graduation, Judge Schutz joined the law firm of Holland & Hart.
- Judge Schutz and his wife Kristi have been married for more than four decades.
- Judge Schutz considers it a great privilege and honor to serve the residents of the State of Colorado from the Bench.
- Over the next two decades, the firm gained a reputation for excellence in the areas of intellectual property, civil litigation, land use disputes and the representation of special districts.
- His juvenile, civil, and domestic dockets were similarly varied and vigorous.
- The Committee is devoted to interacting with community stakeholders to address the existence, causes, and remediation of disproportionate numbers of minorities in the social welfare, school disciplinary, and criminal justice systems.
- It is his goal to bring equal measures of humanity, diligence, and scholarship to his judicial calling.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Expanded Media Coverage
Statewide
Colorado expanded media coverage requests must comply with Chapter 38, Rule 3 and are submitted to the court before the proceeding; authorization remains subject to court rules, orders, restrictions, and limitations.
you agree with the criteria set forth in Chapter 38, Rule 3, as well as all orders, rules, restrictions, or limitations issued or imposed by the courtRequest for Expanded Media Coverage ↗
Expanded Media Notice
Statewide
Colorado expanded media coverage applications generally must be submitted at least twenty-four hours before the court proceeding, though judges may consider shorter-notice requests in some circumstances.
Expanded Media Coverage applications to be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the court proceeding in question.Request for Expanded Media Coverage ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Request for Expanded Media Coverage
Colorado Court of Appeals
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 14, 2026.
Colorado Judicial Branch official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Colorado Judicial Branch official judicial roster ↗Request for Expanded Media Coverage
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Request for Expanded Media Coverage ↗