attorney general
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Federal judge IDs flaw with Tina Peters’ request for release
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A federal judge on Monday warned former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters that her request to be released while she appeals her 2024 criminal convictions appears to be brought improperly and may be subject to dismissal. Jurors convicted Peters for her role in a security breach of her office’s voting equipment. She is currently serving a…
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‘We all have to take care of each other’: Appeals judges get personal in Jeffco high school appearance
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Three members of the Court of Appeals fielded questions from Jefferson County students on Thursday about the personal aspects of judging, including how they combat their biases and how the cases they hear affect their mental health. Judge Lino S. Lipinsky de Orlov responded that the judges signed up to deal with difficult subject matter,…
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Judicial branch tells oversight committees that cost of new judgeships has decreased
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Judicial branch leaders told lawmakers on Monday that their priority for the legislative session — the establishment of 29 new judgeships across Colorado — has come down in cost amid broad concerns about the state’s budget deficit. Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez and State Court Administrator Steven Vasconcellos previously informed the Joint Budget Committee that the cost of…
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‘Reality testing’ cases: Federal judge speaks about lessons learned in first year on the job
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Following her first 15 months on the job, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathryn A. Starnella spoke on Tuesday about her evolving approach on the bench, including her expectations of attorneys who want her assistance in facilitating settlements of civil cases. Of the more than 3,000 cases filed in Colorado’s federal trial court annually, only a small…
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Colorado Supreme Court to decide whether to retreat on landmark restitution ruling
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The Colorado Supreme Court will incorporate an unorthodox twist into its oral argument calendar this week, hearing five cases that all revolve around the same subject: Was the court serious when it said three years ago that judges who do not follow the law lose their authority to order criminal defendants to pay restitution? In…
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Colorado AG’s office scolded by appeals court for belated shift in argument
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The Colorado Attorney General’s Office received a rebuke from the state’s second-highest court on Thursday after it asked a panel of appellate judges to reverse course on a recent decision with an argument it never raised previously. Under the state’s appellate rules, a party may submit a petition for rehearing to the Court of Appeals…
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Colorado Supreme Court to hear cases on Weld County redistricting, Xcel electrocution
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The Colorado Supreme Court announced recently that it will hear appeals in multiple cases, including whether Weld County must follow state law when drawing new legislative districts and when utilities may be held liable for injuries caused by their power lines. At least three of the court’s seven members must agree to take up a…
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Colorado Supreme Court justice warns AG’s office: Watch your arguments on appeal
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In one of the final oral arguments prior to the Colorado Supreme Court’s summer recess, one justice delivered an unusual and specific message to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office about a technical legal issue that has substantial ramifications in criminal appeals. Normally, a lawyer must raise an argument in a lower court to “preserve” it…
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Federal judge declines to intervene after state ‘intercepted’ Colorado man’s $3.5 million jury award
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A federal judge on Thursday concluded he did not have the authority to intervene as Colorado performed an “administrative intercept” of the $3.5 million a jury awarded a plaintiff more than a year ago for violations of his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. U.S. District Court Judge S. Kato Crews acknowledged there might…