Zita Leeson Weinshienk
United States federal judge

Zita Leeson Weinshienk (April 3, 1933 – October 7, 2022) was an American lawyer who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado from 1979 to 2011. She was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.
Education and career
Born on April 3, 1933, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Weinshienk received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arizona in 1955 and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1958. She was a probation counselor, legal advisor and referee of the Denver Juvenile Court from 1959 to 1964; a judge of the Denver Municipal Court from 1964 to 1965; and a judge of the Denver County Court from 1965 to 1971. In 1969 she presided over the first trial to be filmed in the United States in its entirety. The result was aired nationally on public television in March 1970. She was a judge of the Colorado District Court for the Second Judicial District from 1972 to 1979.
Federal judicial service
On June 1, 1979, President Jimmy Carter nominated Weinshienk to a new seat on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado created by 92 Stat. 1629.
The public source identifies “Zita Leeson Weinshienk” as united States federal judge. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Zita, Leeson and Weinshienk.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Zita Leeson Weinshienk”, the useful work is to connect “united States federal judge” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q8072824. VIAF identifies the subject as 56247488. The Library of Congress control number is no99046233. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1933, 2022, 1979 and 2011.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Zita Leeson Weinshienk”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Zita Leeson Weinshienk primary sources, Zita Leeson Weinshienk archive and Zita research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Zita Leeson Weinshienk”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Zita Leeson Weinshienk” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.