Amendment H
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Montezuma County judge’s censure, suspension approved by discipline panel
A three-member disciplinary panel accepted, on Monday, an agreement between a Montezuma County judge and the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline that specifies he will receive a censure, a suspension, and additional education for his admitted instances of misconduct. Under constitutional Amendment H, which voters adopted in November 2024, County Court Judge Ian J. MacLaren…
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Montezuma County judge, discipline officials agree upon suspension for numerous misconduct admissions
A Montezuma County judge and the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline both agreed this month that a suspension and public censure are the appropriate consequences for his multiple instances of misconduct, including invoking his title when facing a citation from state officials and exhibiting bias against a criminal defendant. Under constitutional Amendment H, which voters…
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San Miguel County judge intends to resign as discipline authorities seek alternate resolution
A San Miguel County judge and the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline informed a disciplinary panel last week that new information about the judge’s health has come to light suggesting further proceedings may not be appropriate, and the judge will instead resign from the bench. The Colorado Supreme Court suspended County Court Judge Sean K.…
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Panel member ejected from one judge’s discipline case, as second judge challenges protocols in his proceeding
One member of a panel adjudicating the misconduct allegations against a county court judge has been replaced due to her alleged non-responsiveness, at the same time a different county court judge is objecting to the intended protocols in his own disciplinary case. Following voters’ passage of constitutional Amendment H in November 2024, adjudication of serious…
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Montezuma County judge faces disciplinary proceedings for ‘lying,’ handling of criminal case
Judicial discipline authorities are seeking the censure and removal of Montezuma County Court Judge Ian J. MacLaren, who allegedly committed misconduct in his handling of a criminal case, made false statements to investigators about his actions, and attempted to use his status to get favorable treatment for his own civil infraction. The Colorado Commission on…
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Colorado judicial discipline rules released for public comment
The panel charged with enacting protocols governing the judicial discipline process has released a set of new rules for public comment. Last November, voters approved constitutional Amendment H to reform how Colorado disciplines its judges. The changes reduced the role of the state Supreme Court, enabled information-sharing about judges’ alleged misconduct to occur sooner and more widely, and…
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Discipline panel censures ex-Northeast Colorado judge for misconduct
A three-member disciplinary panel issued a public censure on Thursday of a former trial judge from northeastern Colorado, the first such punishment handed down after voters amended the state constitution last year to reform judicial discipline. The July 18 order was notable not for the sanction it imposed on former District Court Judge Justin B. Haenlein, which…
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Northeast Colorado judge resigns, admits to misconduct
A judge from northeastern Colorado resigned at the end of Wednesday, and, in doing so, admitted to allegations that he used his position to aid a friend in her court case and did not disclose his personal connection in other cases involving that friend. District Court Judge Justin B. Haenlein presided in the 13th Judicial…
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Colorado judicial disciplinary officials describe what changed, remained constant with 2024 amendment
Top state officials for attorney and judicial discipline spoke on Wednesday about the ways in which a 2024 constitutional amendment changed the process for disciplining state judges, the factors that stayed constant and the question marks that remain around specific rules. In November, voters overwhelmingly enacted Amendment H, which lawmakers referred to the ballot after a…
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Northeast Colorado judge inappropriately aided friend in multiple cases, discipline officials say
A judge from northeastern Colorado used his position to aid a friend across multiple cases, and ordered the pretrial release of her boyfriend who was accused of felonies, disciplinary officials alleged in a filing on Tuesday. District Court Judge Justin B. Haenlein, who presides in the 13th Judicial District of Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, Yuma…