judge sueanna johnson
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El Paso County domestic violence conviction reversed because of biased juror
Colorado’s second-highest court has ordered a new trial for a man convicted of domestic violence-related offenses after acknowledging an unusual scenario in which the trial judge, prosecutor and defense attorney confused one juror for another, and neglected to dismiss the juror they all agreed was biased. An El Paso County jury convicted Cory James Wooldridge in…
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El Paso County domestic violence conviction reversed because of biased juror
Colorado’s second-highest court has ordered a new trial for a man convicted of domestic violence-related offenses after acknowledging an unusual scenario in which the trial judge, prosecutor and defense attorney confused one juror for another, and neglected to dismiss the juror they all agreed was biased. An El Paso County jury convicted Cory James Wooldridge in…
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Colorado Supreme Court takes up another restitution appeal
The Colorado Supreme Court announced on Tuesday it will hear another case interpreting the procedure trial judges use when ordering criminal defendants to pay financial restitution to their victims. At least three of the court’s seven members must agree to review an appeal. In Colorado, when a convicted defendant is required to pay restitution, prosecutors typically…
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Colorado Supreme Court walks back ruling denying immunity to speeding officer who killed 2
The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday walked back a ruling by the state’s second-highest court that broadened first responders’ liability for injuries, instead concluding emergency vehicle operators need not activate their lights and sirens during the entirety of a pursuit in order to keep their immunity from lawsuits. After an Olathe police officer, traveling in…
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Appeals court declares automatic reversal not required after Jeffco judge forgot to swear in jurors
For the first time on Thursday, Colorado’s second-highest court determined a criminal defendant’s convictions are not subject to automatic reversal if a trial judge neglects to swear in the jury. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals noted the U.S. Supreme Court has never explicitly recognized the constitutional right to a sworn jury. Although…
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Colorado Supreme Court to review limits on negligence claims in case over Denver restaurant fire
The Colorado Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will review whether a judicially created rule barring certain types of negligence claims applies when a defendant acts recklessly to cause an injury. At least three of the court’s seven members must agree to take up an appeal. The justices also signaled they may intervene in…
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Appeals court upholds ejection of disruptive observer from livestream of criminal trial
Colorado’s second-highest court clarified last month that ejecting a disruptive observer from the livestream of a criminal trial will not typically violate the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of a public trial. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals considered for the first time whether a Weld County judge effectively “closed” his courtroom mid-trial by banning…
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Colorado justices weigh drunk driving suspects’ ability to change mind, consent to blood test
The Colorado Supreme Court considered on Wednesday whether an Arapahoe County judge improperly permitted prosecutors to share a misleading account of a drunk driving suspect’s arrest – making jurors believe Glen Gary Montoya categorically refused a blood alcohol test when, in reality, he changed his mind and ultimately agreed to one. However, some members of the…
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Denver manslaughter conviction overturned due to constitutional violation
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 Supreme Court weighs immunity for speeding officer who killed 2
In July 2018, Officer Justin Hice of Olathe was in pursuit of a speeding car, accelerating to more than 100 mph before he accidentally struck a different vehicle and killed its two occupants. Last year, the state’s Court of Appeals concluded Hice was not shielded from liability under the broad immunity Colorado law provides to…