judge s. kato crews
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‘Lawyers haven’t gotten the message’: Colorado justices hear debate about proposed AI rule
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The Colorado Supreme Court heard comments from members of the legal profession last week about a proposed rule change intended to remind attorneys that misuse of new artificial intelligence tools can violate longstanding professional obligations. Court of Appeals Judge Lino S. Lipinsky de Orlov, who chairs the Rules of Professional Conduct Standing Committee, told the…
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‘Deep source of pride’: Federal judge speaks about first year on bench, how he spends his time
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One of Colorado’s newest federal judges spoke on Thursday about his first year on the bench, his philosophy behind facilitating case settlements and how his background as a public defender informs his current role. “Most of my career, I represented poor people or people who didn’t have enough money for an attorney,” said U.S. Magistrate…
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Federal judge deems Jeffco’s appeal ‘frivolous’ in jail death case
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A federal judge declared Jefferson County’s appeal of his evidentiary decision “frivolous” on Thursday, which enables him to continue handling the civil rights litigation even as an appellate court separately addresses the appeal. The order from U.S. District Court Judge S. Kato Crews came three days after a hearing in which the plaintiffs’ attorney warned…
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Federal judge dismisses claim against Colorado health department leaders over gas stove law
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A federal judge last week dismissed the constitutional claim against leaders of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment over a 2025 law requiring health disclosures on new gas-fueled stoves. In June, Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 1161 into law, which requires retailers of gas stoves to affix a “yellow adhesive label” that…
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Federal judge lifts public access restriction on Children’s Hospital Colorado’s challenge to DOJ subpoena
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A federal judge ordered last month that the public be able to access the filings in Children’s Hospital Colorado’s legal challenge to a U.S. Department of Justice subpoena seeking a broad range of documents about patients, employees and communications. Children’s Colorado sought to keep its case shielded from public view, arguing that disclosing the details…
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‘Utterly no precedent’: Federal judge expresses concerns about Jeffco’s early appeal in jail death case
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A federal judge shared his concerns on Monday about Jefferson County’s appeal of a routine procedural order in a constitutional rights case, which the plaintiffs argued could spawn appeal-related delays in countless lawsuits against the government. During a hearing, U.S. District Court Judge S. Kato Crews noted he could find no decisions backing up the…
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Federal judge dismisses claim of falsified testimony against El Paso County coroner employee
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A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit from a man who was tried and acquitted of his girlfriend’s 2021 murder, and who subsequently accused a witness of fabricating evidence to make him seem guilty. Joseph Hunnicutt stood trial twice in El Paso County for the killing of Alison Cantrell. At the first trial in…
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Federal judge dismisses challenge to prison policy forbidding assistance with certain legal claims
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A federal judge on Friday dismissed a formerly incarcerated man’s challenge to Colorado’s prison policy that forbids the use of library resources for the pursuit of certain claims generally deemed frivolous. Robert Wayne Robinson sued the law librarian at the Buena Vista Correctional Facility and the former director of the Colorado Department of Corrections. He…
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Federal judge declines to dismiss excessive force claim against Denver
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A federal judge last week declined to dismiss Denver from an excessive force lawsuit, finding the plaintiff had sufficiently alleged the city’s lack of training was behind an officer’s decision to slam him head-first into the ground. Elijah Smith alleged he was among the crowd of people in Lower Downtown celebrating the Denver Nuggets’ NBA…
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Federal judge dismisses bulk of claims against UCCS, employees over instructor’s alleged predatory behavior
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A federal judge on Monday dismissed several claims by a former University of Colorado Springs student pertaining to one professor’s alleged sexual misconduct towards her. Kristen Gearhart filed suit in April 2024 against the university, its chancellor, multiple employees and mathematics Prof. Mark Tomforde. She alleged Tomforde had a history of misconduct toward women at…
