carlos samour
-
Forced blood draws for DUI suspects under Colorado Supreme Court scrutiny
—
by
Colorado’s Supreme Court justices appeared largely skeptical of the idea that police officers are forbidden from involuntarily drawing blood from a suspected drunk driver, even if there is a court-approved warrant to do so. During oral arguments on Thursday, the court explored the legislature’s intentions in enacting the “expressed consent law,” which established that motorists,…
-
Judges, justices give candid look at judicial operations at educational conference
—
by
Six of Colorado’s seven Supreme Court justices and more than one-third of the state’s Court of Appeals on Friday provided a candid glimpse into judicial branch operations, with subjects ranging from pandemic recovery and recent precedent-setting decisions to the Supreme Court’s increased pattern of hearing appeals directly. Among the key points raised at the 2022 Appellate…
-
Justices asked to endorse hybrid model of calculating parole eligibility
—
by
In an unusual display of unity before the Colorado Supreme Court, both the government and inmate Nathanael E. Owens agreed that he was entitled to have his parole eligibility date calculated in a way that would move his potential release date one year earlier. However, Owens asked the justices to go further and order the Colorado…
-
State Supreme Court to hear criminal appeals involving racial bias, jury instructions
—
by
The Colorado Supreme Court agreed to review whether an Arapahoe County judge, who is now a justice on the state’s highest court, correctly handled a potentially race-based dismissal of a Black juror, and whether jurors in an Adams County criminal trial should have received the definition of a key legal term – even though there is…
-
State Supreme Court says Weld County judge went too far in ordering public defender to hand over info
—
by
The Colorado Supreme Court walked back a Weld County judge’s order for a public defender to turn over her unredacted case files at the request of the district attorney’s office, and instructed the judge to instead follow the established procedure for such requests. Jared Cortes-Gonzalez, who is pursuing a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel…
-
State Supreme Court broadens eligibility for court-appointed counsel
—
by
Warning that a contrary decision would risk a constitutional violation, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled 5-2 that defendants are entitled to an appointed attorney when they personally do not have access to sufficient funds – even if they live with people who do. The Court’s majority reversed an Arapahoe County Court judge who found Nicholas Feyd…
-
State Supreme Court says man’s post-arrest conduct cannot count toward resisting arrest
—
by
A Mesa County man was under arrest at the time officers placed him in handcuffs, meaning his conduct after that point could not be used against him to prove he was guilty of resisting arrest, the state Supreme Court decided Monday. The ruling reverses the state’s second-highest court, which determined that because Weston Jefferson Thomas went…
-
What is one hotel worth? State Supreme Court wades into dispute over luxury Vail hotel
—
by
Vail Resorts and Eagle County hold different views about how much a luxury hotel property in the core of Vail Village is worth – specifically, a difference of $24 million. Now, the Colorado Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether the Fortune 500 company and the state of Colorado are correct that the disputed property should…
-
State Supreme Court weighs counties’ obligations to American Indian children
—
by
A mother of two children struggled with substance abuse and was the victim of domestic violence. When the children’s father assaulted her and moved out, she abandoned the children at daycare. The matter culminated in a Denver judge terminating both parents’ rights in 2020. However, the child welfare case has now landed at the Colorado…
-
State Supreme Court scrutinizes legislators’ redistricting proposal
—
by
Colorado’s highest court on Monday heard arguments over whether state legislators have the authority to enact a law that would adjust the voter-approved state redistricting process, with several justices skeptical of the legality or prudence of lawmakers’ proposal. At issue is a bill advanced by lawmakers that aims to keep the state’s redistricting commissioners on…
