Author: Michael Karlik
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Colorado Senate passes bill to create 15 new judgeships
The Colorado Senate approved legislation on Wednesday that would add 15 new judgeships over the next two years, a scaled-back version of the original proposal for 29 additional judge seats across the state. Senate Bill 24 passed by a vote of 26-7, with all Democrats who were present voting in favor and all no votes coming from…
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‘Pink elephants,’ gum and bias: Colorado judges discuss courtroom conduct with lawyers
One member of the Colorado Supreme Court and a pair of trial judges spoke to lawyers on Wednesday about how to comport themselves in courtrooms at all levels of the judiciary, with advice ranging from nuanced lessons in cognitive bias to straightforward admonitions not to eat in court. “One of the things that happens in…
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Federal judge exempts Christian preschool from state non-discrimination requirements
A federal judge ruled on Monday that the state must continue funding a Christian preschool in Chaffee County even though the academy’s policies may violate the non-discrimination requirements of Colorado’s universal pre-kindergarten program. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico granted what he deemed a “narrow” permanent injunction in favor of Darren Patterson Christian Academy and…
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Appeals court says state campaign finance enforcement framework is constitutional
Colorado’s second-highest court agreed last week that the state’s current method of adjudicating campaign finance complaints is constitutional and is not the “very definition of tyranny.” For several years, state law has allowed any person to file a complaint alleging a campaign finance violation, which the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office then screens, decides whether to dismiss…
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2 federal judges pitch lawyers on benefits of handing cases over to magistrate judges
Two of Colorado’s federal district judges, speaking on Tuesday about why lawyers should consent to having magistrate judges handle more cases, said they were disturbed that barely more than a dozen attorneys showed up. “We’re concerned even about this turnout for two (district) judges speaking,” said U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney at a…
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Colorado’s Judge Timothy Tymkovich tells Congress more federal judges are needed
Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich of Colorado, who is a member of the federal appeals court based in Denver, spoke to a congressional subcommittee on Tuesday to convey the federal judiciary’s support for adding more than five dozen new judgeships across the country. During his appearance, Tymkovich criticized former President Joe Biden for vetoing legislation in…
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‘An American success story’: Cyrus Chung ceremonially sworn in as federal magistrate judge
Cyrus Y. Chung’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Korea, and they had a vision about which paths would offer the surest bet for a good life. “Asian immigrant parents, chasing a better life, think themselves very generous because they offer their kids three whole career options: You can be a doctor, you can be…
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Colorado Supreme Court ends lawsuit seeking refunds for CSU campus closure
Colorado State University students may not claim their school unjustly enriched itself when it temporarily closed its physical campus during the COVID-19 pandemic and did not provide refunds, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday. On behalf of all people who paid student tuition and fees during the spring 2020 semester, Renee Alderman sued CSU…
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Federal judge says he will not recuse from trans athlete case over courtroom pronoun policy
U.S. District Court Judge S. Kato Crews on Monday denied a request that he recuse himself from a lawsuit about transgender athletes’ participation, rejecting the argument that his courtroom protocols on the use of pronouns meant he had “prejudged” the case. Last week, attorneys challenging a policy of the Colorado Springs-based Mountain West Conference alleged they…
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Colorado Supreme Court tells Weld County to follow state redistricting law
Weld County must comply with the state law governing how boards of county commissioners are to draw their districts, and the county needs to adopt new maps by next year’s election, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday. Following the 2020 census, it was undisputed that Weld County did not follow the procedures for how…