Tag: colorado commission on judicial discipline
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Judicial discipline commission reports increased transparency, increased submissions
The Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline received 473 misconduct complaints about judges in 2025, which was nearly 29% higher than in 2024 and substantially greater than any time in the past decade. However, only 31 complaints were referred to the commission for further action after an initial screening, the organization noted in its annual report released…
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San Miguel County judge intends to resign as discipline authorities seek alternate resolution
A San Miguel County judge and the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline informed a disciplinary panel last week that new information about the judge’s health has come to light suggesting further proceedings may not be appropriate, and the judge will instead resign from the bench. The Colorado Supreme Court suspended County Court Judge Sean K.…
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EDITORIAL: Judicial reform at a snail’s pace
There’s good news and bad news about protracted efforts to bring transparency and accountability to Colorado’s secretive and hidebound judiciary. The good news is that after years of investigative reporting by The Gazette and other media into allegations of top-level improprieties by those appointed to judge over us, Colorado voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure…
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Colorado Supreme Court censures ex-Denver juvenile Judge Brett Woods for alcohol use, retaliation
The Colorado Supreme Court censured former Denver Juvenile Court Presiding Judge D. Brett Woods on Monday for being intoxicated on the job and for firing an employee who first reported his problematic alcohol use five years ago. Woods was a judge on Denver’s freestanding juvenile court for 17 years before stepping down in February. His…
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Q&A with Anne Mangiardi | New judicial discipline director shares plans for change
In July, Anne Mangiardi took over as the new executive director of the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline. Mangiardi, who previously worked in the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, succeeds Christopher Gregory, who the commission placed on leave early this year. The commission features a mixture of judges, lawyers and non-attorneys whose role includes investigating allegations…
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Allegations against ex-Arapahoe County judge encompassed sexual comments to staff, improper influence in case
Documents provided by the Colorado Supreme Court revealed in detail the cascading allegations against former Arapahoe County District Court Judge John E. Scipione, who resigned last year and was censured earlier this month for misconduct towards staff and colleagues. The Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline initiated multiple investigations against Scipione, beginning after two 18th Judicial…
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Ex-Arapahoe County Judge John Scipione censured for misconduct
The Colorado Supreme Court censured former Arapahoe County District Court Judge John E. Scipione on Monday for his misconduct, which resulted in a pair of sexual harassment settlements totaling $130,000. In a document originally filed with the court in January 2023, Scipione agreed he failed to disclose an intimate relationship with a staff member, inappropriately…
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Report: Complaints against judges jumped in 2023, with several stemming from Trump disqualification case
Misconduct allegations against judges jumped by more than 38% between 2022 and 2023, with almost a dozen complaints stemming from last year’s proceedings to disqualify Donald Trump from the presidential primary ballot, according to a report from the state’s judicial discipline body. The summary report from the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline also noted an…
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Denver’s presiding juvenile judge suspended, few details on disciplinary investigation
The Colorado Supreme Court temporarily suspended longtime Denver Juvenile Court Presiding Judge D. Brett Woods last month pending a disciplinary investigation, and few details have emerged about the nature of the inquiry. In a Dec. 21 order, the Supreme Court gave Woods 21 days to explain why he should be allowed to remain on the…