2021 Colorado Code
Title 13 - Courts and Court Procedure
Article 2 - Supreme Court
§ 13-2-115. Pensions of Supreme Court Judges

1. Any person who has served as a judge of the supreme court of Colorado for not less than ten years, who has ceased to hold said office, and who has reached the age of sixty-five years is entitled to receive an annual pension during the remainder of his life in the amount of one-fourth of the annual salary of an associate judge of the supreme court. If such judge has served twenty years or more and has attained the age of seventy-two years, the annual pension shall be one-third of the annual salary of an associate judge of the supreme court. All pensions due under this section shall be paid monthly out of the general fund of this state.
2. Upon the death of any judge, eligible to receive an annual pension pursuant to this section, who leaves a surviving spouse of at least sixty-five years of age to whom he has been married for at least twenty years, such spouse is entitled to receive a pension during the remainder of such spouse's life, or as long as such spouse remains unmarried, in the amount of seven thousand dollars per year, payable monthly from the general fund of this state.
3. It is the intent of this section to limit the benefits payable under this section to persons, or their widows, who have terminated their service on the supreme court prior to May 16, 1974, or whose election or appointment to the supreme court took place prior to May 16, 1974. The retirement benefits payable to judges of the supreme court who are appointed subsequent to May 16, 1974, shall be as otherwise provided by law.

History. Source: L. 25: P. 504, § 1. CSA: C. 46, § 33. L. 39: P. 317, § 1. L. 53: P. 238, § 1. CRS 53: § 37-2-16 . L. 55: P. 262, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 37-2-14 . L. 67: P. 452, § 1. L. 69: P. 242, § 1. L. 74: Entire section amended, p. 233, § 1, effective May 16. L. 77: (2) amended, p. 295, § 4, effective July 1.

Law reviews. For article, “New Supreme Court Rule”, see 24 Dicta 161 (1947).

Nowhere are pensions mentioned in the constitution of Colorado. Unless the granting of them is expressly prohibited, or language is used that by necessary implication must be construed as a prohibition, the power to grant them exists as a residual power of the state. Bedford v. White, 106 Colo. 439 , 106 P.2d 469 (1940).

This section is not unconstitutional. Bedford v. White, 106 Colo. 439 , 106 P.2d 469 (1940).

Judges ceasing to serve prior to enactment. Judges of the supreme court of this state are eligible to receive pensions under this section even though they have ceased to serve in that capacity when this section became law. Bedford v. White, 106 Colo. 439 , 106 P.2d 469 (1940).