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

Colorado’s federal trial court is proposing new rules to ban “smart glasses” in the courthouse, while the Denver-based federal appeals court recently held its annual judges’ conference.

State Supreme Court

•  Of the eight new opinions the Supreme Court has issued since returning from its summer break, Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez has dissented in four of them. She has now surpassed her total number of dissents from the previous term.

•  The Supreme Court issued a modified opinion in the former death penalty case of Robert Keith Ray, clarifying that no matter how it’s analyzed, his current life without parole sentence doesn’t violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

•  The justices decided employees have up to three years to bring claims of minimum wage violations against their employers, and not the six-year window the Court of Appeals believed applied.

•  By 6-1, the Supreme Court concluded that public governing bodies can fix their violations of the state’s open meetings law, but those who successfully prove a violation are still entitled to attorney fees.

•  The justices will decide whether a plaintiff’s decision to buy another ski pass and waive all his past legal claims means his lawsuit from his prior injuries is doomed.

Heard on appeal

•  Because a jail deputy doesn’t stand convicted of a crime, Fremont County must ensure the victims of his sexual misconduct are compensated, the Court of Appeals ruled.

•  A Denver judge terminated a man’s parental rights, but the Court of Appeals decided the evidence didn’t support the judge’s conclusions.

In federal news

•  A federal judge concluded the Trump administration’s broad assertion that it must detain people in immigration proceedings isn’t what the law allows for.

•  A Vail health system didn’t engage in anticompetitive monopolistic practices in the physical therapy market, a judge determined.

•  Boulder asked a judge to declare that it’s allowed to discontinue its municipal airport operations after 2040 without the federal government’s approval, but the judge found the case was filed prematurely.

•  A federal judge temporarily blocked Denver from terminating an employee who established she was likely retaliated against for political reasons.

•  A magistrate judge felt a bank robbery defendant should be in custody pending trial, but a district judge believed home detention and GPS monitoring were more appropriate.

•  A judge agreed certain Denver regulations on gas appliances weren’t in effect and couldn’t be subject to an industry challenge at this time.

•  Even though a Fort Collins officer arrested numerous people for impaired driving who had no drugs in their system, a judge ruled that the officer had probable cause to arrest one specific motorist.

•  Some claims may proceed against the Las Animas County coroner for the allegedly improper burial of a deceased man.

•  Colorado’s U.S. District Court has opened a public comment period for people who want to weigh in on proposed rule changes, including the banning of “smart glasses” capable of recording from the courthouse.

10th Circuit conference

•  Every year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit holds a conference for its judges. In the even years, it’s open to lawyers and media. In the odd years, it’s judges-only. However, Judge Richard E.N. Federico, who led the planning committee, spoke to Colorado Politics about what happened this year in Santa Fe.

•  Among other things, the judges heard about cybersecurity, physical security, civic engagement, the science behind attention and the rise of states as litigants.

•  The civic outreach discussion was the closest the event came to touching on threats to the rule of law, Federico said, as there was talk about “types of events judges could or should participate in, if they so choose, to make contact with members of the public who are not members of the bar who, I think, have a real vested interest in understanding what the judiciary does on a day-to-day basis.”

Constitution Day

•  On Sept. 17, there was a rally on the steps of Denver’s city hall for Constitution Day. Retired Denver County Court Judge Gary M. Jackson said more than 150 people attended, and he started the event by reading the oath to the U.S. Constitution. The speakers included District Attorney John Walsh, Sen. Jessie Danielson (who is also a Democratic candidate for secretary of state) and Hetal Doshi, a Democratic candidate for attorney general.

Miscellaneous proceedings

•  Justice William W. Hood III spoke to attorneys about when members of Colorado’s legal community are obligated to report their peers, including judges, for professional violations.

•  The chief justice has created a Legal Technology Advisory Committee to explore and create recommendations about the use of artificial intelligence in the law. Its report is due by October of next year.

•  The Denver Gazette examined whether parents in Colorado may be held criminally liable for their child’s gun violence.

•  Boulder County prosecutors will pursue another murder trial against a defendant whose 13-year-old homicide conviction was vacated this year.