Author: Michael Karlik
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State Supreme Court vacancy opens, year in review | COURT CRAWL
Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. The application period is now open for the first state Supreme Court vacancy in five years, plus Colorado Politics looked back on the significant judicial developments from 2025. At the Supreme Court • The Colorado Supreme Court halted the practice of…
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Officials push for federal courthouse in Colorado Springs
Local officials and one of Colorado’s U.S. senators urged the judiciary earlier this year to explore placing a new federal courthouse and judge’s chambers in Colorado Springs, while the district court is cautioning that Congress must establish new judgeships before any expansion out of Denver occurs. “We’re supportive of a courthouse in Colorado Springs with…
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Officials push for federal courthouse in Colorado Springs
Local officials and one of Colorado’s U.S. senators urged the judiciary earlier this year to explore placing a new federal courthouse and judge’s chambers in Colorado Springs, while the district court is cautioning that Congress must establish new judgeships before any expansion out of Denver occurs. “We’re supportive of a courthouse in Colorado Springs with…
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Federal judge declines to dismiss claims against prison officials for seizure-related death
A federal judge declined last month to dismiss the claims against numerous prison employees for a man’s in-custody death following several seizures and his repeated ingestion of liquified pain-numbing medication. The mother and minor children of Victor Esquivel sued the state’s corrections director, prison supervisors, corrections officers, medical employees and a medical staffing firm after…
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Appeals judge believes children’s representatives may challenge certain parental rights decisions
A member of Colorado’s second-highest court argued on Wednesday that, despite a recent state Supreme Court ruling prohibiting anyone other than the government from pursuing child-welfare cases, a child’s legal representative may still appeal certain decisions. By 2-1, a three-judge Court of Appeals panel decided it could not review a trial judge’s decision out of…
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Will Colorado Springs get a federal courthouse? Colorado senator, local officials make push for a new facility
Local officials and one of Colorado’s U.S. senators urged the judiciary earlier this year to explore placing a new federal courthouse and judge’s chambers in Colorado Springs, while the district court is cautioning that Congress must establish new judgeships before any expansion out of Denver occurs. “We’re supportive of a courthouse in Colorado Springs with…
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Appeals court shuts down path to challenge convictions if lawyer tells jury that defendant is guilty
Colorado’s second-highest court concluded on Wednesday that defendants cannot challenge whether the evidence was sufficient to sustain their convictions if their lawyer argues to the jury that it should find the defendant guilty. The U.S. Supreme Court has provided guidance in recent years about when criminal defense attorneys may intentionally concede their client’s guilt. In…
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Federal judge sides with Douglas County School District in ex-admin’s discrimination lawsuit
A federal judge concluded last week that a former high school administrator had not proven his claims of religious discrimination against the Douglas County School District. Corey McNellis had worked at Ponderosa High School since 2002 and served as the athletic director and assistant principal at the time of his termination in October 2020. According to…
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Appeals court orders new menacing trial after faulty self-defense instruction
Colorado’s second-highest court ordered a new trial last week for an El Paso County defendant convicted of felony menacing, concluding an erroneous self-defense instruction may have influenced the verdict. Under Colorado law, self-defense is an affirmative defense, meaning the prosecution must disprove at least one component in addition to proving the underlying offense. Judges are…
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Appeals court clarifies framework for parents’ First Amendment rights in child-naming disputes
Colorado’s second-highest court overturned a Jefferson County judge’s order last week in a long-running dispute about whether two ex-spouses must call their child by his first name or middle name outside the home. In doing so, a three-judge Court of Appeals panel clarified that the standard for restricting a parent’s free speech rights is a…