Tag: judge john kane
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Federal judge green-lights jury visit to Aurora detention center in forced-labor lawsuit
A federal judge granted a request on Thursday to have jurors visit the privately run U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Aurora as part of an upcoming civil trial over alleged forced labor practices. U.S. District Court Senior Judge John L. Kane said he wanted the “best possible trial,” and initially postponed his…
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Federal judge upholds constitutionality of Colorado campaign contribution limits
A federal judge upheld Colorado’s individual campaign contribution limits as constitutional on Thursday, finding that three Republican plaintiffs failed to prove the campaign finance framework violates their First Amendment rights. U.S. District Court Senior Judge John L. Kane recognized that Colorado’s limitations on individual contributions to state political candidates are among the lowest in the…
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Colorado’s federal judges slash motions backlog to lowest in years
Colorado’s federal trial judges collectively had 37 motions in civil cases that had been sitting on their dockets for at least six months without a ruling, as of Sept. 30. That is the smallest backlog the state’s U.S. District Court has experienced since September 2017, before many of the current judges were even on the…
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Federal judge opens new front in effort to increase magistrate judge handling of civil cases
One of Colorado’s federal judges rang in the new year with a new effort to spread out the U.S. District Court’s civil caseload among its roster of magistrate judges. “NOTICE ENCOURAGING CONSIDERATION OF CONSENT,” Judge S. Kato Crews has written in docket entries across at least nine recently filed civil cases so far. “This district’s…
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Federal judge rejects DPS’ attempt to obtain 9News sourcing documents in First Amendment case
A federal judge rejected Denver Public Schools’ attempt on Monday to obtain documents from 9News related to its interview with a former principal who alleges his termination amounted to a constitutional violation. At the same time, the attorney for plaintiff Kurt Dennis admitted that Dennis did, in fact, provide documents to the outlet showing a…
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A brief overview of The GEO Group v. Menocal, the class action out of Colorado about immigration detention
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of The GEO Group v. Menocal, which originated in Colorado. The arguments revolved around when appeals courts may review claims by federal contractors that they are immune from suit. Here are the basic points to know: What is the lawsuit about? The plaintiffs…
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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…
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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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New Colorado legal organization named after pioneering Denver lawyer
Members of the legal community gathered at the University of Denver on Wednesday night to dedicate a new professional organization to the late Irving P. Andrews, a prominent lawyer and civil rights advocate. “The very first step in his process is to recognize the suffering of those who are subject to injustice. To do so…
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AI, criminal sentencing, SCOTUS ‘messaging’: 10th Circuit conference addresses hot-button issues
The use of artificial intelligence, various aspects of criminal law and the work of the U.S. Supreme Court were among the topics discussed in Colorado Springs at least week’s biennial gathering of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. The 10th Circuit, which hears appeals in federal cases arising from Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah,…