bench trial
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Colorado justices weigh ‘extreme’ proposals for civil jury trial requests
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court grappled last week with two vastly different proposals for evaluating when it is appropriate for a civil litigant to ask for a jury trial, as opposed to a bench trial before a judge. The Colorado Constitution does not contain the right to a jury trial in civil cases. Instead,…
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Colorado justices weigh ‘extreme’ proposals for civil jury trial requests
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court grappled last week with two vastly different proposals for evaluating when it is appropriate for a civil litigant to ask for a jury trial, as opposed to a bench trial before a judge. The Colorado Constitution does not contain the right to a jury trial in civil cases. Instead,…
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‘Jury of one’: Federal judge speaks about how to handle non-jury trials
In 2023 and 2024, Colorado’s federal district court saw a total of approximately 100 cases end in a trial. Most of the civil and criminal cases were resolved through a jury trial, but a smaller number took place through bench trials, meaning a judge rendered the ultimate decision. “What are the judges looking for? They’re…
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El Paso County man’s concerns of bias did not entitle him to forgo jury trial, appeals court rules
Colorado’s second-highest court ruled earlier this month that a defendant in El Paso County did not have the right to unilaterally choose a trial by judge, rather than trial by jury, amid concerns that jurors would not treat him fairly. Jonathan Yamar Best is serving 20 years to life in prison after a jury convicted…
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El Paso County man’s concerns of bias did not entitle him to forgo jury trial, appeals court rules
Colorado’s second-highest court ruled earlier this month that a defendant in El Paso County did not have the right to unilaterally choose a trial by judge, rather than trial by jury, amid concerns that jurors would not treat him fairly. Jonathan Yamar Best is serving 20 years to life in prison after a jury convicted…
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El Paso County man’s concerns of bias did not entitle him to forgo jury trial, appeals court rules
Colorado’s second-highest court ruled earlier this month that a defendant in El Paso County did not have the right to unilaterally choose a trial by judge, rather than trial by jury, amid concerns that jurors would not treat him fairly. Jonathan Yamar Best is serving 20 years to life in prison after a jury convicted…
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Denver judge wrongly revoked jury trial in child neglect case, says appeals court
A Denver judge acted improperly by canceling a jury trial that two parents had requested in their child neglect case, the state’s second-highest court ruled last month. Although three-judge panels of the Court of Appeals are not bound by each other’s decisions, an appellate panel on Oct. 19 agreed with their counterparts who concluded earlier…