Judge Carlos Samour sits on the bench during the sentencing phase of James Holmes' trial, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015, at Arapahoe County District Court in Centennial, Colo. Victims and their families were given the opportunity to speak about the shooting and its effects on their lives. Holmes was convicted Aug. 7 of murdering 12 people when he opened fire on a crowded movie theater in 2012. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via AP, Pool)
Judge Carlos Samour Jr. during a hearing on Friday Dec. 02, 2016 at Arapahoe County Courthouse.
Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel

AURORA | The Arapahoe County judge who oversaw the Aurora theater shooter’s death penalty trial is taking the bench on the Colorado Supreme Court.

Gov. John Hickenlooper named Judge Carlos Samour Jr. as the newest member of state’s high court on Friday.

The Colorado Supreme Court’s official twitter feed sent congratulations to the longtime Arapahoe County judge, who accepted the nomination during a ceremony in Denver.

Samour had been on the bench in Arapahoe County for more than a decade. Before that, he worked as a prosecutor in Denver.

The Supreme Court Nominating Commission announced earlier this month it had nominated Samour as well as Maria Berkenkotter, the former chief judge of the 20th Judicial District in Boulder County and  Karen Brody, a judge in the 2nd Judicial District in Denver County, to replace retiring Chief Justice Nancy Rice.

Rice announced in March that she will retire at the end of June. She will have served more than four years as chief justice, nearly 20 years on the court and about 31 years total as a judge in Colorado.