Senate passes amended judges bill; adds fewer judges and trims public-defender appropriation

The Colorado Senate on Feb. 25 approved Senate Bill 24, a measure to add judges to the state judiciary, after adopting amendments that reduced the number of new judges and recalibrated the related funding for the Office of the State Public Defender.

The vote followed two key amendments. Amendment L008, offered by Senator Roberts, reduced the number of judges in the bill from 29 as originally introduced to 15. Amendment L009 adjusted the appropriations tied to the bill to reflect that smaller judge count and included funding to staff new criminal dockets in the State Public Defender's Office while excluding a proposed appropriation for the Bridges liaison program.

Why it matters: Sponsors said SB24 and its amendments aim to relieve overloaded dockets and restore timely access to court for criminal and civil matters. Opponents countered that even the pared-back fiscal impact adds to a structural deficit and called for greater transparency in public-defender spending and closer joint-budget scrutiny.

Senator Roberts, the amendment mover and a sponsor of SB24, described L008 on the floor: "This amendment, colleagues, reduces the total number of judges being a part of this bill package being added to the state from 29 as the introduced version of the bill had to 15." Roberts and co-sponsors said they worked with the Judicial Branch and fiscal staff to narrow the proposal and to limit costs where possible.

Debate and fiscal details: Opponents focused on the bill's fiscal note and the Office of the State Public Defender's budget. Senator Kirkmeyer pressed for transparency in how public-defender funds are used, saying, "It's the transparency of the money that is there. Where is it going? How is it being used?"

Legislators and fiscal analysts cited the formula used to size defender staffing: each new criminal docket generally requires two public defenders plus support staff. The committee and floor discussion referenced a February 24 fiscal memo estimating near-term general fund costs for the public defender and liaison staff, including figures in the hundreds of thousands to low millions depending on hiring phasing. Senators described a multi-year staffing ramp: some defender positions and support staff would begin in August 2025 with others phased in the next budget cycle.

Supporters pushed back on claims that the amendment restored large new spending. Senator Mobley said the amendment "dramatically reduces the cost of this bill" and urged colleagues to approve it. Senator Frizzell, another sponsor, framed the bill as addressing delays in both criminal and civil dockets, saying testimony showed "a crisis in Colorado of due process" and urging passage to improve access to justice.

Outcome and next steps: Both amendments (L008 and L009) were adopted on the floor and the Senate gave final passage to SB24 as amended. The amendment language narrows the number of judges to be added and adjusts appropriations; specific roll-call tallies for the final passage were not recorded in the floor transcript excerpt.

Implementation questions left open on the floor included exact hiring timelines, how many of the new judicial positions will carry criminal dockets versus civil dockets (which affects public-defender needs), and how appropriation timing will interact with the Joint Budget Committee and the state's broader fiscal constraints.