Author: Michael Karlik
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Appeals court revives child abuse prosecution despite ex-DA’s ‘inappropriate’ comments to media
Colorado’s second-highest court reinstated the criminal charges in a Fremont County child abuse case on Thursday, acknowledging the elected district attorney’s public comments about the defendant were “inappropriate” but did not rise to the level of triggering dismissal. Last year, a judge dismissed the case against Brook N. Crawford after then-District Attorney Linda Stanley spoke…
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Federal judge green-lights trial for ex-Rio Grande County sheriff employee’s hostile work environment claims
A federal judge on Monday found a former Rio Grande County sheriff’s dispatcher had not shown she was subjected to disability discrimination or was retaliated against, but that a jury would need to decide whether she experienced a hostile work environment based on her sex and ancestry. Then-Sheriff Don McDonald fired Lauren N. Trujillo in…
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Appeals court revives child abuse prosecution despite ex-DA’s ‘inappropriate’ comments to media
Colorado’s second-highest court reinstated the criminal charges in a Fremont County child abuse case on Thursday, acknowledging the elected district attorney’s public comments about the defendant were “inappropriate” but did not rise to the level of triggering dismissal. Last year, a judge dismissed the case against Brook N. Crawford after then-District Attorney Linda Stanley spoke…
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Federal judge dismisses claim of falsified testimony against El Paso County coroner employee
A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit from a man who was tried and acquitted of his girlfriend’s 2021 murder, and who subsequently accused a witness of fabricating evidence to make him seem guilty. Joseph Hunnicutt stood trial twice in El Paso County for the killing of Alison Cantrell. At the first trial in…
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Federal judge dismisses claim of falsified testimony against El Paso County coroner employee
A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit from a man who was tried and acquitted of his girlfriend’s 2021 murder, and who subsequently accused a witness of fabricating evidence to make him seem guilty. Joseph Hunnicutt stood trial twice in El Paso County for the killing of Alison Cantrell. At the first trial in…
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Montezuma County judge says ‘imperfect decisions’ do not justify disciplinary authorities’ ‘overreach’
A Montezuma County judge responded on Monday to the allegations of misconduct against him, arguing any poor decisions he may have made did not justify his removal from office and further insisting he did not lie to disciplinary officials. In early September, the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline accused County Court Judge Ian P. MacLaren…
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Colorado’s federal courts announce preparations if shutdown is prolonged
The federal trial and appeals courts headquartered in Denver have announced anticipated changes to their operations should the lapse in congressional appropriations be prolonged, with Oct. 17 being a critical date for the judiciary. In an Oct. 1 letter to all federal judges, public defenders and related staff, Robert J. Conrad Jr., who heads the…
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10th Circuit orders resentencing after government concedes man’s serious probation violation cannot stand
The Denver-based federal appeals court granted an unusual joint request between the prosecution and the defense on Wednesday, directing a judge to resentence a man who was incorrectly found guilty of a severe probation violation. There are multiple classifications of federal probation violations, with Grade C being the least serious and Grade A being the…
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10th Circuit clarifies when hardship to child can halt parent’s deportation
The Denver-based federal appeals court clarified on Monday that immigration judges, when deciding whether to halt a person’s deportation because of hardship to their child, should consider whether the child meets the age threshold at the time of the decision, even if a significant delay means they are no longer a legal “child.” The U.S.…
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‘A model example’: 10th Circuit OK’s Colorado’s non-discrimination requirement for universal pre-K
The Denver-based federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that Colorado’s universal pre-kindergarten program does not violate the rights of religious preschool operators by requiring participating organizations to refrain from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, among other characteristics. Two Catholic institutions, St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton and St. Bernadette Catholic Parish in…