Denver District Judge Lawrence Manzanares is giving up a secure post on the bench to enter the political fray at City Hall.
Mayor John Hickenlooper on Thursday announced Manzanares, 49, will become city attorney in early January, replacing Cole Finegan.
The journey from arbiter to advocate will tap Manzanares’ legal skills. But in describing the move, he displayed a flash of self-deprecating diplomacy – a trademark of the Hickenlooper administration.
“I was a county court judge and I took a pay cut to become a district court judge – already proving that I don’t have good enough judgment perhaps to have that job,” Manzanares joked. “And now I’m leaving the security of that position.
“You know, it’s an opportunity to do some great things and work with the mayor and a great staff,” he said.
In his new post, Manzanares will be paid $125,473 annually – far less than an experienced Harvard-trained lawyer like him could collect at a private law firm.
Manzanares was born in Colorado Springs and graduated from Littleton’s Arapahoe High School in 1975, from the University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and from Harvard Law School.
“I’m delighted for Larry, and I’m delighted for the city,” said Denver County Court Judge Doris Burd. “I’ve been a friend and colleague for many years. He’s highly ethical, extremely intelligent and a balanced man. I’m sorry for the bench that he’s not going to be there.”
Manzanares handled corporate law and commercial litigation in private practice for 10 years before becoming a judge in 1992. He served on the county court from 1992 to 1998, when he was appointed to the district court.
This year, Manzanares handled a high-profile case involving electronic voting machines. In one ruling, he called the state’s certification process for the machines “abysmal.”
Manzanares, who is married and has two children in college, said he began conversations about becoming the city attorney about three to four weeks ago. His first day as city attorney will be Jan. 9.
Finegan announced in September that his last day as city attorney would be Dec. 1. He has not announced his plans.
Finegan completed the first overhaul of the Denver city attorney’s office in nearly 20 years. The office has about 100 lawyers and 100 staff members.
Under Finegan, Denver settled the long-running legal dispute over the so-called spy files Denver police kept on activists engaged in legal activities.
Finegan also stepped into the role of chief of staff after Michael Bennet, Hickenlooper’s initial chief, left to become superintendent of Denver Public Schools.
Deputy Chief of Staff Kelly Brough will take over that role with Finegan’s departure.
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-954-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
