Tag: magistrate judge michael hegarty
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‘Jury of one’: Federal judge speaks about how to handle non-jury trials
In 2023 and 2024, Colorado’s federal district court saw a total of approximately 100 cases end in a trial. Most of the civil and criminal cases were resolved through a jury trial, but a smaller number took place through bench trials, meaning a judge rendered the ultimate decision. “What are the judges looking for? They’re…
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Colorado’s federal judges recused 200+ times in 4 years for variety of reasons
A handful of magistrate judges accounted for a large portion of the recusals
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‘Reality testing’ cases: Federal judge speaks about lessons learned in first year on the job
Following her first 15 months on the job, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathryn A. Starnella spoke on Tuesday about her evolving approach on the bench, including her expectations of attorneys who want her assistance in facilitating settlements of civil cases. Of the more than 3,000 cases filed in Colorado’s federal trial court annually, only a small…
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‘On the verge of a renaissance’: Colorado’s chief magistrate judge encourages use of settlement conferences
Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty told an audience of lawyers on Wednesday that despite his status as the most prolific settler of cases on Colorado’s federal trial court, his upcoming retirement should not be cause for concern that settlements will diminish. “I fully believe there are many cases that should be tried to…
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Federal judge speaks about ‘concerning trends’ of threats against judges, weighs in on judicial ethics
Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty spoke about a wide range of topics to a Lakewood audience on Tuesday, from judicial ethics and threats against judges to the role of religion in the courtroom. “In my world, you don’t even want the appearance of impropriety. You want to be above reproach. And so, we…
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‘Pick your battles’: Federal judge walks lawyers through do’s and don’ts of jury instructions
Jury instructions should be relevant, accurate, brief and understandable. Those were the key points emphasized by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Christine M. Arguello on Friday during a presentation to lawyers at the federal courthouse in downtown Denver. She said the “straw that broke the camel’s back” and prompted her to speak publicly about the…
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Report: Colorado’s federal trial court saw drop in criminal trials, explosion in insurance verdicts
The number of criminal jury trials dropped significantly in Colorado’s federal trial court, insurance cases made up half of all civil jury trials and self-represented litigants only filed one-quarter of all lawsuits last year. Those were the trends highlighted in an annual report of the U.S. District Court’s workload presented last week by Chief U.S.…
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Lawyer’s failure to cite facts prompts 10th Circuit to toss excessive force case
The federal appeals court based in Colorado agreed last week that police officers from Littleton, Englewood and Denver cannot be held liable for killing one person and partially paralyzing another because the plaintiffs’ lawyer failed to cite any facts of the case while appealing a trial judge’s decision. During a late-night vehicle chase across multiple…
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Colorado’s federal trial court selects 2 new magistrate judges
Colorado’s federal trial court announced on Monday that it has named public defender Timothy P. O’Hara and prosecutor Cyrus Y. Chung to be its newest magistrate judges, filling one current and one pending vacancy. Unlike district judges, who the president nominates and the U.S. Senate confirms, magistrate judges serve eight-year terms following an appointment by…