Tag: judicial discipline
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Judicial discipline changes moving at a slow pace
Colorado’s judicial system is barely closer to fixing what some have called a broken process of disciplining judges a year after voters approved a new method of dealing with the issue and eight months after revelations the state fosters a private system of judges who fall outside of that oversight. The state’s Commission on Judicial…
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Federal courts prepare for lengthy shutdown, SCOTUS to hear Colorado case | COURT CRAWL
Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. Colorado’s federal courts have announced their intentions if the lapse in congressional funding is prolonged, plus the nation’s highest court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in a First Amendment challenge out of Colorado. In federal news • Both the U.S.…
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Colorado Senate committee advances bill to create 29 judgeships, with lawmaker support delicate
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to establish 29 new Colorado judgeships by a vote of 6-1 on Wednesday, with supporters and opponents both cautioning that their positions could change based on the availability of money. The committee heard testimony from numerous witnesses in support of the bill, including from sitting judges. Chief Justice…
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Judicial branch tells oversight committees that cost of new judgeships has decreased
Judicial branch leaders told lawmakers on Monday that their priority for the legislative session — the establishment of 29 new judgeships across Colorado — has come down in cost amid broad concerns about the state’s budget deficit. Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez and State Court Administrator Steven Vasconcellos previously informed the Joint Budget Committee that the cost of…
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Judicial discipline commission compares SCOTUS ethical lapses to state judges’ disclosure violations
In an unusually detailed and strongly worded report, Colorado’s judicial discipline body made clear on Friday that dozens of judges broke the law by failing to file financial disclosure statements on time, but that not every instance merited discipline in light of related behavior from the nation’s highest court. The Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline…
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2024 closes period of turnover on Colorado’s bench | YEAR IN REVIEW
New faces, new initiatives and a new judicial discipline process were among the developments in the third branch of government this year. Although much of the public’s focus was on the battle for the White House and Congress, several stories implicating the courts will have reverberations for years to come. Here is a look at…
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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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Amendment H: What to expect if judicial discipline measure passes
Collection Colorado Voter Guide: 2024 General Election Voters in this election will decide whether to modify Colorado’s current system of judicial discipline through a proposed constitutional measure, Amendment H, intended to increase the transparency and independence of the disciplinary process. The legislature referred the amendment to the ballot following a series of committee hearings. It has…
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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…