judge charlotte sweeney
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Federal judge dismisses some claims in ex-RTD police chief’s discrimination lawsuit
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A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed some of the claims brought by the former police chief of the Regional Transportation District in his employment discrimination lawsuit. Joel Fitzgerald Sr. led RTD’s police department after his August 2022 hiring until his termination in September 2024. Fitzgerald alleged his successes in transforming the department were overshadowed by…
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10th Circuit upholds $20M award to Fort Collins after jury found vendor acted fraudulently
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The Denver-based federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a jury’s verdict finding a technology vendor made false representations to Fort Collins when attempting to secure a contract, for which the company must pay nearly $20 million. After Fort Collins voters approved the creation of municipal broadband in 2017, the city sought a provider to develop a…
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Federal judge ‘troubled’ by unknown location ICE intended to transfer detained man
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A federal judge stated on Monday he was “troubled” by allegations that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was planning to transfer a man in custody outside of Colorado to an unknown location. Two years ago, Dennis Arostegui-Maldonado won a favorable ruling in his immigration case from the Denver-based federal appeals court. Subsequently, he received an order…
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Federal judge green-lights trial against Denver Health, staff for death of elderly jail detainee
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Five Denver Health employees and the organization itself will stand trial on claims that they provided a constitutionally deficient level of medical care to an elderly jail detainee who died from severe health problems, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday. The defendants maintained 71-year-old Leroy “Nicky” Taylor received consistent medical care during his incarceration and…
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10th Circuit rules child welfare worker immune for alleged false statements at custody hearing
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The Denver-based federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that a child welfare worker’s testimony during a temporary custody hearing, even if it was false, cannot be the basis for a civil lawsuit under the longstanding principle shielding witness statements in judicial proceedings. A trial judge previously believed the allegedly untruthful statements of former Arapahoe County…
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What’s in a name? 2 federal judges hold ‘hearings’ differently than advertised
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Soon after her appointment to Colorado’s U.S. District Court in 2021, Judge Regina M. Rodriguez implemented a new procedure for handling motions for summary judgment — meaning one party in a civil lawsuit is asking to end the case in their favor without a trial. She began requiring lawyers to identify, in chart format, all of…
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Federal judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit over prison training exercise turned violent
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A federal judge ruled last week that claims could proceed against five federal prison employees who allegedly attacked their colleagues during a training exercise turned violent. While carrying out a 2019 hostage training at the Federal Correctional Complex in Florence, prison employees punched, shot simulated bullets at and used chemical munitions on their coworkers who…
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10th Circuit rules Denver deputy will face trial for punching man in wheelchair
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The Colorado-based federal appeals court agreed on Friday that a Denver sheriff’s deputy will face a civil jury trial for using “arbitrary and punitive force” against a restrained man who spat on him. Video footage from 2019 captured Deputy Jason Gentempo punching and shoving Serafin Finn, who was in a wheelchair, to the ground after Finn…
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Federal judge dismisses $50 million defamation lawsuit from woman called ‘prostitute’ at party
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A federal judge last week dismissed a woman’s defamation lawsuit that sought $50 million in damages after a party guest allegedly called her a “prostitute” to others in attendance. “No one likes being called names. But not every alleged insult gives rise to a lawsuit in federal court,” wrote U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N.…
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Federal judge rules Pueblo sheriff’s officials will face jury trial for killing man at school
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Multiple Pueblo County sheriff’s employees will face a civil jury trial after one deputy shot and killed a man outside a middle school and other deputies placed his mother under arrest for hours without justification, a federal judge ruled earlier this month. Kristy Ward Stamp, mother of the late Richard Ward, alleged Deputy Charles McWhorter,…
