judge christine arguello
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Kathryn Starnella, who ‘never does anything halfway,’ ceremonially sworn in as federal judge
Before Kathryn A. Starnella moved to Colorado more than a decade ago to clerk for a federal judge, she prepared for the job by volunteering at the federal court in Chicago. Then when Colorado’s U.S. District Court announced last year that she would be joining the bench as a magistrate judge, Starnella spent her free…
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10th Circuit agrees Colorado trooper committed constitutional violation in I-70 vehicle search
The federal appeals court based in Denver agreed on Monday that a state trooper lacked reasonable suspicion to investigate a motorist for drug trafficking – based on little more than the driver’s messy vehicle, plans to visit a religious center and being “overly cooperative.” Although Trooper Shane Gosnell ended up being correct that Luis Alfonso Leon…
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10th Circuit reinstates challenge to Colorado’s regulations on ballot issue advocacy groups
The federal appeals court based in Denver has reinstated a legal challenge to Colorado’s regulations on groups advocating for or against ballot initiatives, which require registration with the state and, in some instances, disclosure of donors. Previously, a trial judge threw out the lawsuit from the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, Inc. after finding the conservative…
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Federal judge dismisses allegations of ‘years-long campaign’ of retaliation by prison employees
A federal judge has dismissed an incarcerated man’s lengthy set of assault allegations against state prison officials because he did not properly file three grievances for each incident first. Under the Prison Litigation Reform Act, people who are incarcerated must “exhaust” their administrative remedies before bringing a civil rights lawsuit. In Colorado’s Department of Corrections, detainees…
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10th Circuit finds no discrimination against Denver postal worker
A Denver employee of the U.S. Postal Service failed to show her employer retaliated, discriminated against her or otherwise refused to accommodate her disability, the federal appeals court based in Colorado ruled last month. Melissa M. Goodson held a variety of jobs within the Postal Service since 1997. After she suffered an on-the-job injury in…
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New faces, new approach: Charlotte Sweeney talks about transformation of Colorado’s federal court
In just two years, the Biden administration appointed four – soon to be five – judges to Colorado’s seven-member federal trial court. One of them spoke on Friday about how she and the other new members are taking a different approach to the job. “It certainly seems like we’re moving back to being out more in the…
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Federal judge sends illegal arrest lawsuit against Colorado Springs officers to trial
A jury will decide whether Colorado Springs police officers unlawfully arrested and searched a woman who, moments prior, helped resuscitate a man who had stopped breathing from a drug overdose. Colorado Springs asked U.S. District Court Senior Judge Christine M. Arguello to find its officers acted reasonably when they handcuffed and cited Sasha Cronick for…
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10th Circuit moves out front of Colorado Supreme Court, answers injured-motorist question
Shortly after the Colorado Supreme Court agreed to address whether state law allows certain injured motorists to receive both workers’ compensation benefits and payments from their employer’s auto insurer, the federal appeals court based in Denver chose to answer the question without waiting for the Supreme Court’s interpretation. By 2-1, a three-judge panel of the…
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Federal judge asks Colorado Supreme Court to address vehicle insurance question
In an uncommon move, a federal judge has asked the Colorado Supreme Court to interpret whether state law allows people who are injured on the job while operating a vehicle to seek benefits simultaneously from workers’ compensation and from their employers’ insurance company. Although the Supreme Court has previously issued decisions about the ability of…
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Federal judge declines to label Colorado Springs appeal ‘frivolous’ in lawsuit over police killing
Although she previously found a jury should decide whether Colorado Springs police officers and the city itself are liable for killing a man with a Taser, a federal judge has declined to forge ahead with a trial while the defendants appeal her ruling. In March, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Christine M. Arguello determined a…