Today is Nov. 24, 2023, and here’s what you need to know:

In his latest Trail Mix column, Ernest Luning explores the path to the Democratic and Republican national conventions:

Even though the major parties’ national conventions don’t gavel in for almost eight months, it isn’t too early for Colorado’s most avid Democrats and Republicans to start thinking about traveling across the country to nominate their 2024 presidential tickets.

The formal process to pick Colorado’s convention delegates begins in the first week of March, but, by then, hundreds of partisans will already be campaigning for the dozens of coveted spots – and a chance to influence the country’s direction for the next four years.

“Not to be too sentimental about it, but for a lot of the folks who become delegates, this is a highlight of their life,” said Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Shad Murib. “This is an opportunity to be a part of history.”

Colorado’s second-highest court clarified last month that judges are allowed to balance the urgent need to involuntarily medicate a person with their lawyer’s ability to prepare for the case on short notice.

Under state law, judges must appoint a lawyer and hold a hearing within 10 days when they receive a request to forcibly medicate someone experiencing psychiatric issues. However, no prior court cases have addressed the tension between the compressed deadline for a hearing and a person’s request for a delay so as to prepare their defense to involuntary medication.

In the case of Melody Anne Ramsey, officials at the Denver jail suspected she was suffering from paranoia and delusions. They transported her to Denver Health, which in turn petitioned to forcibly medicate her.

Colorado’s Judicial Department last week offered two days of training to its more than 350 judges statewide on how to file personal financial disclosure reports, as well as asked the attorney general whether senior judges must also file the public documents just weeks after The Denver Gazette stories disclosed dozens had not.

The training and stern reminder of an annual Jan. 10 deadline for filing comes three months after a Denver Gazette review found that one in six judges – even more when senior judges were added – had not filed the required disclosures last year.

It is a misdemeanor for a judge to knowingly not file the disclosure. The Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline immediately launched its own inquiry into the newspaper’s findings.

Aurora will honor its departing council member and welcome new councilmembers at two receptions the first week of December as the council prepares to shift gears.

While election results are not yet official, pending final certification due to the Secretary of State no later than Nov. 29, results as of Thursday show clear leads for Aurora’s open seats. 

Assuming the current vote counts hold, Mike Coffman will remain mayor, new candidate Stephanie Hancock will take over for Juan Marcano in Ward IV, previous at-large member Angela Lawson will replace Alison Coombs in Ward V, incumbent Francoise Bergan will keep her seat in Ward VI, and previous Ward V member Coombs will replace Lawson for at-large council along with incumbent Curtis Gardner.