judge j. eric elliff
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‘Pink elephants,’ gum and bias: Colorado judges discuss courtroom conduct with lawyers
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One member of the Colorado Supreme Court and a pair of trial judges spoke to lawyers on Wednesday about how to comport themselves in courtrooms at all levels of the judiciary, with advice ranging from nuanced lessons in cognitive bias to straightforward admonitions not to eat in court. “One of the things that happens in…
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Colorado justices weigh broad definition of ‘criminal justice agency’ in open records lawsuit
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Although members of the Colorado Supreme Court appeared wary on Tuesday of finding a large swath of the government can be deemed a “criminal justice agency,” they also recognized lawmakers used broad language to seemingly sweep public entities into that category. The case at hand questions whether the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board, as…
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Colorado Supreme Court to hear cases on open records, illegal sentencing, insurance dispute
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The Colorado Supreme Court announced on Monday it will hear appeals in multiple cases, including the question of whether the public may access information about law enforcement officers who have been decertified for misconduct. At least three of the court’s seven members must agree to review an appeal. Among the cases granted, the justices took…
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Denver manslaughter conviction overturned due to constitutional violation
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A man convicted of manslaughter in Denver will receive a new trial after the state’s second-highest court determined last month that a judge violated his constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him. There was no dispute that Donte Carl Ellis physically attacked his mother’s boyfriend, Willie Caldwell, and that Caldwell later died of his…
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Colorado appeals court agrees media organizations not entitled to police officer records
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The state’s second-highest court on Thursday agreed the Colorado Attorney General’s Office acted reasonably by refusing to provide two media outlets with records of police officers who are certified and, for misconduct-related reasons, decertified as law enforcement. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals determined the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board qualifies…
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Denver jury should not have heard about defendant’s prior assaults of wife, appeals court rules
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A man convicted of beating his wife will receive a new trial after the state’s second-highest court determined a Denver judge mistakenly allowed jurors to hear about two previous instances of the defendant beating his wife. Under Colorado’s procedural rules, prosecutors cannot use evidence of a defendant’s other, uncharged misconduct to show that the person…
