Joseph R. Quinn

Joseph R. Quinn (November 18, 1932 – May 18, 2023) was an American attorney and judge who served as a justice of the Colorado Supreme Court from 1980 to 1993, including service as chief justice from 1985 to 1990.

Early life, education, and career

Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the eldest of three brothers, and served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War, achieving the rank of sergeant.

As a Denver District Court judge, Quinn presided over Lujan v. Colorado State Board of Education, a constitutional challenge to Colorado's system of financing public education. The plaintiffs argued that disparities in school funding violated the Colorado Constitution's requirement that the state maintain a "thorough and uniform system" of public schools. Quinn served as chief justice until July 1, 1990, when he stepped down from the position, thereafter remaining an associate justice until his retirement from the court in 1993.