Judiciary of Colorado



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Sept. 6, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                     Contact:          Karen Salaz

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Colorado courts celebrate Constitution Day, Sept. 17, 2006

Class activities, historical information featured on website

         The Colorado Judicial Branch now has available resources for students and citizens to help commemorate Constitution Day, Sept. 17, 2006. Resources include full text searchable copies of the United States and Colorado constitutions, historical information, suggested class activities and topics for discussion. All are available on the Colorado Judicial Branch website at

          “Constitution Day isn’t only for schools,” says Colorado Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey. “All of us must be students of the foundations of our democracy so that we can understand how we have chosen to govern ourselves and continue to protect our freedoms.”

      Colorado’s Constitution, like the U.S. founding document upon which it was modeled, divides the powers of government among three separate, independent branches: the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch. Each branch is empowered and required to check and balance the powers of the other two branches. The framers of the U.S. Constitution deliberately created a government of separate branches to protect the freedoms of the people from unfettered governmental powers, such as those of the British king.

            The U.S. Constitution was signed by 40 of its framers on Sept. 17, 1787, in Philadelphia.  It was the world’s the first written constitution for a nation, and today is the oldest still in use.

             The Colorado Constitution was signed by 39 framers on March 14, 1877, in Denver. They had spent 87 days writing it. In addition to the separation of governmental powers among three independent branches, the Colorado Constitution, like its national counterpart, includes a Bill of Rights protecting such freedoms as speech, religion and press.

           “These two documents, creating and limiting our national government and our state government, are the basis for the liberties that we enjoy every day,” Mullarkey says. “Coloradoans have much to celebrate this Constitution Day.”

  Schools receiving federal funds are required to provide programs about the U.S. Constitution on or near Constitution Day, Sept. 17 each year, the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, under a 2004 mandate by the U.S. Congress.

Editor’s Note: Colorado Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey has penned an op-ed piece commemorating Constitution Day. It follows on Page 3 for your consideration. If you have any questions, please let us know. Thank you for your attention.

This information is provided as an e-mail service of the Colorado State Judicial Branch, Office of State Court Administrator, 1301 Pennsylvania Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colo. 80203. To discontinue this service or update your e-mail address, please respond to this message with your name, contact information and any comments.

A message from Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey

Celebrating Constitution Day, Sept. 17, 2006

In 1787, the delegates to the constitutional convention in Philadelphia finished their draft of a document so filled with compromises that it wholly pleased none of them. The new U.S. Constitution divided the powers of government among three independent branches – legislative, executive, and judicial – empowering each branch to check and balance the powers granted to each of the others.

Thus the American democracy, designed to require the compromising of disagreements, was born in disagreement: Of the 54 delegates from 12 states who attended the Constitutional Convention, only 40 signed the document.

Nearly a century later, 39 delegates gathered in Denver to draft the document that would become the constitution of the new state of Colorado. They modeled it on the U.S. Constitution, dividing the powers of government into three branches and preserving the freedoms of the people in a Bill of Rights. All the delegates signed it, but when it was submitted to the citizens of Colorado Territory, 15,443 voted in favor of it, and 4,062 were opposed.

The role of the judicial branch of government is to peacefully resolve disagreements while balancing the rights and freedoms of all concerned. The Colorado courts are proud to celebrate this special role and to commemorate the two constitutions that protect our liberties.

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news

Colorado Judicial Branch

Mary J. Mullarkey, Chief Justice

Gerald Marroney, State Court Administrator

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