Hon. Timothy J. Schutz is a judge for the Colorado Court of Appeals. He was appointed to the seat by Governor Jared Polis in November 2021, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Steve Bernard (Ret.).
Prior to his appointment, Schutz presided as a judge for the 4th Judicial District Court, a position to which he was appointed by former Governor Bill Ritter on November 1, 2010. During his tenure on the District Court, he presided over criminal trials, as well as juvenile, civil, and domestic dockets.
Before beginning his judicial career, he was a partner at Hanes & Schutz, having established the firm in 1992. The firm handled intellectual property, civil litigation, and land use disputes and represented special districts. He first joined his law partner, Richard W. Hanes, in practice in 1991.
Schutz received a B.A. in psychology from Moorhead State University in 1984. He went on to complete a J.D. at the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1987. While a law student Schutz was Editor in Chief of the North Dakota Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif.
After graduating from law school, he began his legal career as an associate at Holland & Hart, where he remained until 1991.
Schutz was a president of the El Paso County Bar Association, the El Paso County Bar Foundation, and the Ben Wendelkin Inn of Court. He sat on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Legal Aid Foundation and the Pikes Peak Pro Bono Project. Schutz also served as a member of the Judicial Performance Commission and was co-chair of the 4th Judicial District Minority Overrepresentations Committee and has been a frequent writer and speaker on issues involving race and the justice system.
He and his wife, Kristi, have four children and eight grandchildren. When not presiding over legal matters, Schutz enjoys gardening, birding, hunting, whitling, reading, and jogging. He also enjoys attending Red Rocks concerts.