Tag: justice monica marquez
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Colorado justices debate what to do with medical records of driver following fatal Custer County crash
The Colorado Supreme Court waded into a contentious dispute on Wednesday about how trial judges should decide whether a litigant’s medical records are confidential and what to do with other evidence that spawns from the private information. Complicating matters, many details about the appeal are shielded from public view due to the debate over confidentiality.…
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Lakewood police acted unconstitutionally in using drug detection dog, Supreme Court rules by 5-2
Lakewood police violated the constitutional prohibition on unreasonable searches by ensuring a driver’s door remained open so a drug detection dog could sniff inside the vehicle without probable cause, the Colorado Supreme Court concluded on Monday. In the 5-2 decision, all justices agreed with the principle that law enforcement conducts a search if they “facilitate”…
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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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Trump’s executive orders prompt US Attorney Office to pull out of Colorado judge’s diversity program
A pair of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump this week has prompted the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Colorado to withdraw from a federal judge’s longstanding internship program for law students of diverse backgrounds. Retired U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix started the Diversity Internship Program in 2014 to place University of Colorado and…
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Error-prone judge returns to bench after chief justice authorizes part-time service
A retired Douglas County judge is now back on the bench, despite the state’s appellate court overturning convictions and sentences in numerous criminal cases she handled due to her errors. District Court Judge Patricia Herron stepped down from active service in December 2023. But in October, Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez signed a contract permitting…
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Senator criticizes Judicial Department for seeking budget increase and offering no cuts
A member of the powerful Joint Budget Committee criticized Colorado’s Judicial Department on Tuesday for seeking an increase to its budget without offering suggestions for cuts. “I think some people are misinformed or just don’t truly understand the situation that we’re in,” said Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton, at a joint hearing of the House and…
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A tattoo, the N-word, a different crime: Colorado justices hear appeal of former death row inmate
Almost 20 years after the murders of a young couple in Aurora, the Colorado Supreme Court heard the appeal of the man convicted of orchestrating the killings and who now alleges numerous errors pervaded his trial. Arapahoe County jurors convicted Robert Keith Ray for the 2005 slayings of Javad Marshall-Fields and Vivian Wolfe. He received…
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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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Colorado justices weigh constitutional implications of livestreaming criminal trials
With the Sixth Amendment guaranteeing criminal defendants the right to a public trial, members of the Colorado Supreme Court grappled on Tuesday with a question that may have never arisen without a global pandemic: If a judge requires spectators to watch the trial remotely, is there a constitutional violation? In a pair of cases stemming…
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‘Running on empty tanks’: Chief justice addresses legislature with plea for more judges
Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez delivered her plea for more judges to the entire legislature on Friday, saying workloads are more demanding and well-meaning legislative changes have contributed to the burdens on the bench. “We cannot ask our judges, day in and day out, to make consequential decisions impacting people’s lives when they are running on…