general assembly

Colorado Senate committee advances scaled-back bill to add judgeships, with more cuts looming

Feb 18, 2025

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Michael Karlik

Colorado’s Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill to create roughly two dozen new judgeships by a vote of 5-2 on Friday, in a slightly scaled-back effort to address high judicial workloads in many areas of the state. However, with the legislation now heading to the full Senate, one of its sponsors intends to propose cutting…
Colorado Senate committee advances bill to create 29 judgeships, with lawmaker support delicate

Jan 30, 2025

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Michael Karlik

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to establish 29 new Colorado judgeships by a vote of 6-1 on Wednesday, with supporters and opponents both cautioning that their positions could change based on the availability of money. The committee heard testimony from numerous witnesses in support of the bill, including from sitting judges. Chief Justice…
Appeals court interprets ambiguous phrase in Colorado’s criminal records sealing law

Jan 22, 2025

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Michael Karlik

Colorado’s second-highest court last month interpreted for the first time an ambiguous phrase in a 2019 law, and concluded a man convicted two decades ago for securities fraud was not entitled to have his criminal records sealed. Lawmakers enacted House Bill 1275 nearly five years ago to increase the availability of records-sealing for people convicted of less serious…
Senator criticizes Judicial Department for seeking budget increase and offering no cuts

Jan 16, 2025

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Michael Karlik

A member of the powerful Joint Budget Committee criticized Colorado’s Judicial Department on Tuesday for seeking an increase to its budget without offering suggestions for cuts. “I think some people are misinformed or just don’t truly understand the situation that we’re in,” said Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton, at a joint hearing of the House and…
Judicial branch tells oversight committees that cost of new judgeships has decreased

Jan 15, 2025

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Michael Karlik

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…
‘Chutzpah’: Colorado justices raise eyebrows at Weld County’s assertion it can evade redistricting law

Dec 11, 2024

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Michael Karlik

Members of the Colorado Supreme Court appeared incredulous on Wednesday as a lawyer for Weld County argued the jurisdiction did not need to follow the state’s redistricting law, maintained it should not have to redraw its commissioner districts for nine more years, and declined to say whether the county would even comply with a Supreme…
Colorado’s chief justice requests 28 new judges, warns of widespread courtroom disruption

Nov 15, 2024

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Michael Karlik

The state’s judicial branch is asking lawmakers to establish 28 new judgeships over two years to help ease caseloads and combat burnout among existing judges, Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez told an audience of attorneys on Thursday. Speaking at the Colorado Bar Association’s headquarters, Márquez also provided details about the rash of disruptions caused by malicious actors…
Gov. Jared Polis names a new chief of staff

Sep 3, 2024

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Marianne Goodland

Gov. Jared Polis announced Tuesday that David Oppenheim, a long-time staffer in the governor’s policy office, will become his new chief of staff, effective Sept. 13. He will replace Alec Garnett, who has been in that role since Jan. 1, 2023. Garnett is headed to UC Health to become vice president for government and regulatory…
Divided appeals court rules child neglect determinations cannot hinge on uncertain effects of drug exposure

Aug 12, 2024

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Michael Karlik

Colorado’s second-highest court ruled on Thursday that a recent change to the state’s child neglect laws requires more than just the possibility an infant exposed to drugs at birth will experience negative health effects in the future. Prior to 2020, a court could declare a child neglected if, among other things, they tested positive at…
Colorado Supreme Court to hear cases on Weld County redistricting, Xcel electrocution

Jul 9, 2024

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Michael Karlik

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…