general assembly
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Colorado lawmakers hear about increased judicial discipline complaints, fallout from Missy Woods misconduct
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Members of the Colorado legislature’s judiciary committees heard about a large increase in complaints against judges and additional forensic misconduct that has come to light, during three days of oversight hearings last week. Leaders of several judicial-related agencies appeared between Jan. 20-23 to address their priorities and field questions from legislators. On behalf of the…
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Colorado lawmakers hear from chief justice about security needs, new judges
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Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez asked members of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee on Tuesday to stay the course and fund the 10 new trial judgeships that Colorado lawmakers approved last year, and also explained her vision for enhancing judicial branch security. Responding to questions generated by committee members after a hearing last month on…
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Federal judge blocks Colorado law requiring social media platforms to provide warnings to children
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A federal judge on Thursday blocked Colorado from implementing a requirement that social media companies notify users younger than 18 of the effects to their mental and physical health from using the platforms. Lawmakers enacted House Bill 1136 by wide margins in 2024, with a goal of providing “research-based education and interventions” about minors’ use…
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Colorado justices decide pre-2025 law did not criminalize AI-generated child porn
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Colorado law prior to 2025 did not criminalize, as a means of sexually exploiting a child, the use of artificial intelligence to generate nude images depicting real children, the state Supreme Court concluded on Monday. The legislature acted this year to clearly establish a crime for someone to have or share fake, yet “highly realistic,”…
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Despite 2020 change, Colorado justices rule positive drug test alone can lead to child neglect finding
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A divided Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a newborn’s positive drug test by itself can lead to a finding of child neglect, even though legislators amended the law five years ago to eliminate that trigger. The legal debate centered on the wording lawmakers chose to replace the previous understanding that a child is neglected when…
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Colorado justices appear open to striking down harsher municipal sentences
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Members of the Colorado Supreme Court appeared open last week to the idea that municipalities cannot impose harsher sentences under their own ordinances than state law does for identical criminal offenses. In a rare pair of appeals taken directly from municipal court, the justices heard about an unusual twist in the relationship between state and…
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Lawmakers overturn Colorado Supreme Court decision on juvenile competency evaluations
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Colorado lawmakers overturned a recent decision of the state Supreme Court in the final days of the legislative session, clarifying that the government cannot re-evaluate a juvenile defendant’s competency to proceed without a judge’s order. On April 14, the Supreme Court decided People in the Interest of J.D., in which an El Paso County juvenile defendant was deemed…
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Colorado justices, 5-2, rule jury may consider victim’s suicidality in fentanyl distribution case
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The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a 2022 state law allows jurors to hear about a victim’s suicidal intentions when determining if a defendant is guilty of selling fentanyl and causing the victim’s death. The justices interpreted for the first time a relatively new law imposing harsher penalties for those who distribute the synthetic opioid…
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Divided Colorado Supreme Court rules government can re-evaluate juvenile defendants without court order
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The Colorado Supreme Court, by 5-2, ruled on Monday that the state may rely upon its evaluation of a juvenile defendant who was previously found not competent to proceed, even though the evaluation happened without a judge’s order. The clarification took on significance because of a 2023 law that enacted protections for juveniles who receive…
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Appeals court says Xcel may be held liable for ‘felonious killing’ after Aurora home exploded
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Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week that corporations in general — and Xcel Energy specifically — may be held liable for “feloniously killing” a person, meaning the cap that exists in state law will not apply to a jury’s award. After a 2023 trial, Denver jurors awarded the children of Carol Ross $15 million in noneconomic…
