judge john kane
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10th Circuit dismisses trip-and-fall lawsuit against DIA
The Colorado-based federal appeals court dismissed a woman’s lawsuit against Denver last month, which attempted to hold the city liable for her trip-and-fall on a floor mat in the security screening area of Denver International Airport. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit agreed Ana Guardado of Los Angeles…
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Colorado’s federal trial judges keep backlogs steady, but data show discrepancies
Colorado’s federal trial judges collectively had 71 motions in civil cases that had been sitting on their dockets for at least six months without a ruling as of March 31, according to recently released data from the judiciary. However, the reported information contains discrepancies, and at least one judge’s list understates his number of pending…
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Colorado federal judges unveil new ‘civility code,’ share stories about bad behavior
Four members of Colorado’s U.S. District Court introduced lawyers on Tuesday to a new, nonbinding “civility code” and expressed frustration about overly belligerent behavior they are seeing more frequently from attorneys. “It feeds on itself. One lawyer in a case starts with snarky comments in the briefs or the motions, the other side may try…
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Federal judge exempts Christian preschool from state non-discrimination requirements
A federal judge ruled on Monday that the state must continue funding a Christian preschool in Chaffee County even though the academy’s policies may violate the non-discrimination requirements of Colorado’s universal pre-kindergarten program. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico granted what he deemed a “narrow” permanent injunction in favor of Darren Patterson Christian Academy and…
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10th Circuit rejects appeal of Aurora immigrant detention facility operator in class-action suit
The federal appeals court based in Denver declined last week to decide the appeal of the private company that operates an immigrant detention center in Aurora, concluding it had no ability to weigh in on the class-action lawsuit before trial. The plaintiffs are detainees who originally filed suit in 2014. They claimed GEO Group, which…
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New Colorado legal organization named after pioneering Denver lawyer
Members of the legal community gathered at the University of Denver on Wednesday night to dedicate a new professional organization to the late Irving P. Andrews, a prominent lawyer and civil rights advocate. “The very first step in his process is to recognize the suffering of those who are subject to injustice. To do so…
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AI, criminal sentencing, SCOTUS ‘messaging’: 10th Circuit conference addresses hot-button issues
The use of artificial intelligence, various aspects of criminal law and the work of the U.S. Supreme Court were among the topics discussed in Colorado Springs at least week’s biennial gathering of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. The 10th Circuit, which hears appeals in federal cases arising from Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah,…
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Senate Judiciary Committee advances bill to give Colorado 2 more federal judges
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced a bill on Thursday that would add more than five dozen judgeships to federal trial courts across the country, including two for Colorado. “Our federal courts are in a genuine crisis of workload,” said U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. “Not since 1990 have we added any significant amount…
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Federal judge grants narrow injunction against Colorado pre-K program but rejects Catholic parishes’ LGBTQ challenge
A federal judge on Tuesday concluded Colorado’s universal pre-kindergarten program impermissibly infringes on the rights of two Catholic parishes with its treatment of students’ religious affiliation, while at the same time rejecting large swaths of their challenge to a related LGBTQ non-discrimination requirement. Two Catholic institutions, St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton and St. Bernadette Catholic…
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10th Circuit upholds injunction removing access restrictions on DPS critic
The federal appeals court based in Colorado agreed on Tuesday that Denver Public Schools could not restrict a man’s access to district property or bar him from his volunteer football coaching position, despite the district’s concern about harassment and bullying directed toward employees. DPS sent a letter to Brandon Pryor in October 2022 outlining his…