The Colorado Supreme Court temporarily suspended longtime Denver Juvenile Court Presiding Judge D. Brett Woods last month pending a disciplinary investigation, and few details have emerged about the nature of the inquiry.

In a Dec. 21 order, the Supreme Court gave Woods 21 days to explain why he should be allowed to remain on the bench while the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline completes its work. On Thursday, the court issued another order reiterating that Woods remains on paid suspension until further notice.

Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright did not participate in issuing either order, while Justice Monica M. Márquez recused herself only from the December order. The clerk of the Supreme Court did not know the reason for Márquez’s partial participation.

“There is no specific information available regarding why he was suspended,” said Rob McCallum, public information officer for the judicial branch.

McCallum provided Colorado Politics with emails about Woods’ suspension from the Denver Juvenile Court, which is uniquely separate from the city’s other trial courts and whose judges are appointed by the governor. An email sent the morning after the Supreme Court suspended Woods offered little detail, but advised staff and lawyers to “respect the privacy of others.”

“This news is difficult for us to share, and you probably have many questions. While we will be as transparent as possible, the disciplinary investigation process for judges is confidential by law,” read the message, signed by Judges Pax Moultrie and Laurie A. Clark, as well as two magistrates and executive leaders. “Our priorities right now are the health of our Denver Juvenile Court and Probation team members along with the continuity of operations for the citizens we serve.”

The Dec. 22 email indicated Moultrie would be the interim presiding judge through the remainder of the year, after which she would take a seat on the state’s Court of Appeals as previously announced in November. On Dec. 27, the chief justice designated Clark, the only remaining juvenile judge, to lead the court on an interim basis after Moultrie’s departure.

A Jan. 11 update from court executive Abigail Young indicated she was “still awaiting additional information” about Woods. She conceded there will be staffing issues in the near term on the three-judge court.

“I acknowledge that there are a lot of questions and unknowns before us right now. I am committed to doing my best to keep you all updated and as informed as possible,” Young wrote.

In the last fiscal year, the Denver Juvenile Court saw approximately 2,000 case filings on matters that included adoption, child neglect and juvenile delinquency – the equivalent of criminal proceedings for children.

Woods was appointed to the court in 2007 and he became presiding judge in 2014. Denver voters retained him for another term in 2022 by a margin of more than 2-1. The citizen-led performance commission that evaluated his work found surveys from lawyers and non-lawyers had rated Woods “substantially below the average” compared with other judges, but the commission nonetheless believed he maintained “compassion and respect for the parties in often difficult circumstances.”