Author: Michael Karlik
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Appeals court finds no race discrimination in El Paso County murder case
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Colorado’s second-highest court concluded on Thursday that an El Paso County prosecutor did not intentionally remove the only Black juror from a Black defendant’s jury because of his race, even as he misrepresented the man’s responses to questioning. The Court of Appeals in multiple cases has waved aside the idea that a prosecutor’s erroneous statements…
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Appeals court upholds contempt for defendant who destroyed phone rather than hand it over to judge
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Colorado’s second-highest court agreed last week that an Arapahoe County judge properly held a criminal defendant in contempt for breaking his own cell phone to avoid handing it over to the judge as directed. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals noted that even if the judge’s attempt to seize the phone was illegal, the…
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El Paso County domestic violence conviction reversed because of biased juror
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Colorado’s second-highest court has ordered a new trial for a man convicted of domestic violence-related offenses after acknowledging an unusual scenario in which the trial judge, prosecutor and defense attorney confused one juror for another, and neglected to dismiss the juror they all agreed was biased. An El Paso County jury convicted Cory James Wooldridge in…
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State Supreme Court interprets novel issues, campaign finance decisions handed down | COURT CRAWL
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Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. The state Supreme Court recently decided multiple issues it had never previously addressed, and the Court of Appeals handed down rulings involving campaign finance violations. Student searches, classic cars and more ? Colorado’s justices concluded Denver Public Schools officials acted reasonably…
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Judge allows ex-Aurora VA doc to proceed with employment discrimination case
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A federal judge last month permitted a former anesthesiologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Colorado to proceed with some of her employment discrimination claims, even though a different judge previously found the VA was justified in removing her. Elizabeth Schacht worked for the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora between 2015 and…
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U.S. judge declines to dismiss charges against West African man accused of torture in Gambia
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A federal judge last month declined to dismiss multiple criminal charges in the unique prosecution of a West African man living in Denver, whose alleged acts of torture in his home country could violate U.S. law. Michael Sang Correa faces seven torture-related counts for his involvement in the investigation of an unsuccessful 2006 coup attempt…
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Appeals court warns against questioning service animals’ status based on ‘suspicions’
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Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday warned that public entities may not ask a disabled person to provide more information about their service animal than what federal regulations allow, regardless of whether they harbor “legitimate suspicions” about the animal’s status. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals determined it was a “close call” whether Dustin…
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Colorado appeals court upholds fine, requirement for ‘dark money’ group to disclose spending
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Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday agreed a group that spent $4 million backing conservative causes on the ballot in 2020 is required to disclose its contributions and spending, and pay a $40,000 fine for failing to register as an advocacy group. A trial judge previously believed Unite for Colorado, which spent roughly $17 million during…
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Arapahoe County domestic violence conviction reversed for constitutional violation
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An Arapahoe County judge improperly limited a defendant’s constitutional right to confront her victim, prompting Colorado’s second-highest court to reverse her conviction last month. Jurors found Richel Lee Gurule guilty in 2022 of assaulting her romantic partner at the time. Each woman said the other was the aggressor. Before trial, the judge permitted the defense…
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Federal judge bars government from using seized narcotics in drug trafficking case
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A federal judge last month barred the government from using more than two dozen pounds of narcotics seized from a vehicle as evidence against the defendants because a Colorado state trooper violated the prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures. When Trooper Joshua St. Onge pulled over Ezequiel Pita-Chavolla and Manuel Pacheco for a traffic infraction,…
