judge elizabeth harris
-
Judicial performance evaluations released, Montezuma County judge disciplined | COURT CRAWL
Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. Colorado’s citizen-led judicial performance commissions released their voter narratives for the judges standing for retention in November, plus a disciplinary panel imposed consequences on a Montezuma County judge for his misconduct. Judicial retention • There are 123 state judges standing…
-
Colorado appeals judge’s delays in releasing opinions noted by performance commission
The citizen-led performance commission that provides guidance to voters about whether to retain members of Colorado’s second-highest court raised concerns by judges and attorneys that Judge Elizabeth L. Harris sometimes struggles with releasing opinions promptly. Harris, who joined the Court of Appeals in 2015 and who will appear alongside five other appellate judges on the…
-
Labels, duration not definitive proof of ‘intimate relationship,’ Colorado court rules in domestic violence case
Colorado’s second-highest court clarified on Thursday that the length of a couple’s relationship and the labels they attach to it are not conclusive evidence of whether it is an “intimate relationship” that can give rise to a domestic violence prosecution. In Colorado, domestic violence is not a crime itself, but rather a finding that accompanies…
-
3 Colorado judges receive unfavorable retention recommendation as one performance commission violates rules
Of the 123 Colorado judges standing for retention on the November ballot, citizen-led performance commissions found that three did not meet the required performance standards. However, in an unprecedented move, the commission charged with evaluating Supreme Court and Court of Appeals members stepped in to issue its own narrative after it concluded the local performance…
-
Appeals court reinstates murder case despite ex-DA Linda Stanley’s conduct
Colorado’s second-highest court reinstated the murder and child abuse charges on Thursday against a Fremont County defendant, reasoning that the former district attorney’s misconduct did not warrant dismissal of the charges. A judge previously dismissed the criminal case against defendant William Jacobs after former elected District Attorney Linda Stanley spoke in derogatory terms about Jacobs…
-
Arapahoe County defendant serving life could receive new trial after lawyer withheld key details
An Arapahoe County defendant who is serving a life sentence for a 20-year-old murder could receive a new trial because his lawyer withheld key details that affected his decision to decline a plea deal, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week. There was no dispute that Michael Evans did not shoot the victim during an October…
-
Divided appeals court reverses assault conviction over insufficient guidance about paramedics’ authority
Colorado’s second-highest court reversed a defendant’s conviction last week for assaulting a paramedic, concluding that a Denver judge needed to give jurors additional information about the duties that paramedics are legally authorized to carry out. Two paramedics were attempting to take Chakib E. Ez-Zahir to a hospital against his will. After one paramedic blocked his…
-
Divided Colorado Supreme Court opens door to experts’ views on children’s truthfulness
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday that experts may, in certain situations, tell jurors whether child witnesses exhibited signs of being coached by adults, without running afoul of the general prohibition on witnesses testifying about the truthfulness of other witnesses. The majority in the 4-3 decision maintained that defendants will not “open the door”…
-
Colorado justices side with news organizations for disclosure of high-level child abuse data
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the state must disclose the number of child abuse reports at individual group living facilities in response to an open records request, as the addresses are already in the public domain. The justices agreed that the Court of Appeals erred in resolving the case. But beyond that,…
-
Appeals court recognizes longer window to sue insurers for withholding policy details
Colorado’s second-highest court split with its own prior decision earlier this month and concluded injured motorists have two years, not one, to sue insurance companies for withholding relevant information about an at-fault driver’s policy. In 2019, Colorado lawmakers enacted a measure to help motorists determine which insurance coverage is available in the event of an injury. To…