‘Devoted to justice.’: Former CU Law professor and first director of the Korey Wise Innocence Project, Kristy Martinez, dies
Martinez meets with Korey Wise in 2017.Former University of Colorado law professor and the first director of the CU Korey Wise Innocence Project, Kristy Allyne Martinez, passed away on Tuesday. Martinez has been serving as a judge for Boulder County’s 9th Division since 2019.
The Boulder County Bar Association communicated the loss of Judge Martinez via Facebook Tuesday morning. “We are so grateful for everything she has done for our members and appreciate all she has given to make this community a better place,” the message read.
“Thank you to all who delivered cards or sent emails to share with Judge Martinez a few weeks ago. Together, we sent over 100 messages. It is my understanding she spent a lovely afternoon reading every letter and sharing stories with her colleagues.”
Judge Martinez is remembered by many members of the CU community for her efforts in the Korey Wise Innocence Project, which she oversaw for three years before being appointed to the Boulder County Court.
The KWIP at Colorado Law works to exonerate wrongfully convicted persons in Colorado, finding its start from the donation of Korey Wise, one of the exonerated Central Park Five.
Kristy Martinez was the first program director, overseeing the project’s functions, such as “creating a user-friendly database to track the applications through KWIP’s screening process, digitizing and uploading thousands of old records, and guiding a growing number of law student volunteers in the screening of applications.”, according to KWIP’s website.
Martinez’s impact at CU cannot be understated. In an interview with Colorado Law, she detailed her correspondence with over 750 inmates, actively reviewing 28-35 incarcerated individuals, and described her excitement for the future of the Innocence Project.
“Forensics tests are more sensitive and reliable than we’ve ever seen them, which gives lawyers more options to examine innocence cases than ever before. That’s really exciting and interesting,” Martinez said.
She was also awarded the Honorary Order of the Coif in 2019 by the University of Colorado Law for her outstanding contributions to the campus and to the legal profession.
Respondents to Judge Martinez’s 2022 court survey communicated that, “she is diligent in preparing for hearings and makes a significant effort to ensure that litigants appearing before her understand the judicial process, the legal issues presented, and her rulings. Boulder’s district attorney and representatives of the defense bar highlighted her compassion for litigants and her thoughtfulness in sentencing.”
Judge Martinez was an effusive supporter of the Law Program and Korey Wise Innocence Project at CU Boulder and her contributions to the programs will be remembered for years to come. Judge Martinez represented the highest quality of work and service to the community in Boulder, and she will be dearly missed by the Buff community. Details of a celebration of life will be released as they are made available by the BCBA.
