DENVER (KDVR) — Former Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary J. Mullarkey died Wednesday at the age of 77.
Mullarkey was a trailblazer for woman jurors in Colorado as the first female Supreme Court chief justice in state history.
“Hearing her stories about being one of just a few women in her class at the Harvard Law School, for example, was a reminder of how hard she and other pioneers worked to blaze a trail for other women in the law,” said current Colorado State Supreme Court Justice Monica M. Márquez.
Before coming to the state in 1971, Mullarkey worked as an attorney for the U.S. Interior Department, focusing on equal employment opportunities.
Mullarkey was initially appointed by Gov. Roy Romer to serve on the Colorado Supreme Court as a juror in 1987. In 1998, the court chose Mullarkey to serve as chief justice, the first woman to do so in the state.
Democrat Bill Ritter, left, is sworn in as the 41st governor of Colorado by Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey, right, during ceremonies at the Capitol in Denver on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007. Ritter’s wife Jeannie, center, holds a Bible and daughter Tally looks on during the ceremony. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) 
Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey applauds after a speech by Bernie Buescher after she administered the oath of office to Buescher to become Colorado’s secretary of state to fill the job vacated by Mike Coffman, who won election to the U.S. Congress, during a ceremony at the State Capitol in Denver on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) 
Colorado Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey refers to a law book in her Denver office Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2005. Mullarkey says caseloads in most courts around the state are rising, but the funds aren’t available to hire more workers or buy more computers to handle the work. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
Mullarkey would continue to serve as chief justice for 12 years, the longest-serving in Colorado history.
Gov. Jared Polis issued a statement about the former chief justice after hearing of her passing:
Justice Mullarkey was an extraordinary individual with an unparalleled mind. Her impact on Colorado’s courts cannot be overstated. As the first female Supreme Court chief justice, she inspired countless future jurists. I’ll never forget when she swore me in for my first public office, the State Board of Education in 2001. Justice Mullarkey never allowed multiple sclerosis to slow her down, but continued to bring compassion, zeal, and wisdom to the court. She is already deeply missed.
Jared Polis
