LaQunya Latrese Baker-McKay

Governor Jared Polis appointed LaQunya Latrese Baker-McKay to the Arapahoe County Court in July 2022 and to the Eighteenth Judicial District Court in July 2023. When she was sworn in to the district court she became the first Black woman to serve on the Arapahoe County District Court bench.

She earned a bachelor's degree in communications from the College of Charleston and interned with U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn before attending Charlotte School of Law in North Carolina. After graduating she was a deputy state public defender in Golden, practiced civil litigation in state and federal courts across the country, and returned to criminal defense with the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel in the Denver metro area. She also served as a part-time magistrate for the Denver County Court and as a visiting assistant professor of the practice of law at the University of Denver.

The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance voted 8 to 0 that she meets performance standards, with one member absent and one vacancy on the commission. It reports that attorney and non-attorney survey respondents, "although low in response numbers, found no performance issues in any evaluation criteria."

The commission writes that she "was described as a clear communicator who treats all courtroom participants with respect." It finds her rulings "thoughtful, well-reasoned, and grounded in legal authority."