Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government.

A trial judge dismissed a case involving an internal Colorado Republican Party dispute over the chair’s future, and the state’s Court of Appeals conducted further review of allegations of a judge’s bias.

Judge permits GOP meeting to vote on chairman’s future

•  An Arapahoe County judge concluded he lacked jurisdiction to intervene in an internal state Republican Party conflict over the potential removal of chair Dave Williams. Consequently, those opposed to Williams’ continued leadership plan to move ahead with a meeting to vote on his ouster.

Heard on appeal

•  After the state Supreme Court decided, 4-3, a defendant couldn’t belatedly challenge his trial judge’s participation on the grounds that she briefly represented him in her prior public defender career, the Court of Appeals concluded the judge wasn’t actually biased, either.

•  Interpreting a recent change to state law, the Court of Appeals ruled, 2-1, that child neglect decisions based on a newborn’s drug exposure require more than just the possibility the child will be negatively affected someday.

•  Englewood police, who have held onto a convicted defendant’s property for 20 years, need to at least give him back his cash, the Court of Appeals said.

•  Shortly after their divorce, a man’s ex-wife emailed him saying he didn’t need to pay child support given his job loss and illness. He didn’t pay for the next 16 years. The Court of Appeals decided even if the email set an expectation that all child support was forgiven categorically, only courts can modify those orders.

•  A defense attorney and trial judge were confused about whose burden it was to prove a defendant was competent to proceed to trial. Consequently, the Court of Appeals overturned the man’s sex assault conviction and ordered further analysis of his competency.

•  An elected district attorney resorted to suing the Huerfano County sheriff over persistent problems with evidence disclosures. The Court of Appeals clarified that was an acceptable method of ensuring the DA could meet his own obligations in prosecuting cases.

•  For the past six Court of Appeals vacancies, District Court Judge Priscilla J. Loew of Adams and Broomfield counties has been a finalist. She’s now on the shortlist for a seventh seat. Will the governor break the holding pattern and appoint her?

In federal news

•  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit tossed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Colorado’s charitable solicitations law because the restriction on the plaintiff’s solicitation activities had expired.

•  A federal judge dismissed a jail conditions lawsuit from Letecia Stauch, who was convicted of murder in El Paso County last year, because she failed to move the civil case forward.

•  Kaiser and its union will head to trial with competing breach-of-contract claims against each other regarding staffing concerns, a federal judge ruled.

•  A man who spent three years challenging the constitutionality of a Colorado law may proceed to do what he originally wanted — post documentation online with a state trooper’s personal information — because a judge concluded it wouldn’t actually violate the law.

•  A judge sanctioned a self-represented litigant $5,000 for, among other things, his misogynistic conduct toward female opposing counsel and his meritless filings in the lawsuit.

Vacancies and appointments

•  The governor has appointed Magistrate Dina M. Christiansen of the Eighth Judicial District (Larimer and Jackson counties) to succeed retiring District Court Judge Charles M. Hobbs in the 13th Judicial District (Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Washington, Sedgwick, Yuma and Kit Carson counties).

•  The governor also named Magistrate Christine A. Washburn to succeed District Court Judge Cajardo R. Lindsey, who is resigning from the 18th Judicial District (Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties).

•  Finally, the governor named longtime Montezuma County Court Judge JenniLynn E. Lawrence to succeed retiring Mesa County District Court Judge Valerie Robison.

Miscellaneous proceedings

•  Since July, virtual trial court proceedings have been disrupted by hackers broadcasting pornography, racial slurs and disturbing videos. Law enforcement and the judicial branch’s IT department are involved in the response.

•  A Boulder County judge will decide whether jurors can see body-worn camera footage of police interrogating the man accused of murdering 10 people at a King Soopers in 2021.