judicial discipline
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Allegations against ex-Arapahoe County judge encompassed sexual comments to staff, improper influence in case
Documents provided by the Colorado Supreme Court revealed in detail the cascading allegations against former Arapahoe County District Court Judge John E. Scipione, who resigned last year and was censured earlier this month for misconduct towards staff and colleagues. The Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline initiated multiple investigations against Scipione, beginning after two 18th Judicial…
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Ex-Arapahoe County Judge John Scipione censured for misconduct
The Colorado Supreme Court censured former Arapahoe County District Court Judge John E. Scipione on Monday for his misconduct, which resulted in a pair of sexual harassment settlements totaling $130,000. In a document originally filed with the court in January 2023, Scipione agreed he failed to disclose an intimate relationship with a staff member, inappropriately…
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Denver’s presiding juvenile judge suspended, few details on disciplinary investigation
The Colorado Supreme Court temporarily suspended longtime Denver Juvenile Court Presiding Judge D. Brett Woods last month pending a disciplinary investigation, and few details have emerged about the nature of the inquiry. In a Dec. 21 order, the Supreme Court gave Woods 21 days to explain why he should be allowed to remain on the…
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Ex-Adams County judge resigned after retaliation campaign against employee, improper relationship
Robert W. Kiesnowski Jr. resigned from his position as an Adams County district judge this summer following his admission to a campaign of retaliation against an employee and a failure to comply with the judiciary’s rules on personal relationships, according to documents filed with the Colorado Supreme Court. Kiesnowski joined the 17th Judicial District bench…
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High-profile cases, judicial misconduct and other legal topics explored at ABA meeting in Denver
Lawyers and judges from across the country descended on Denver this week for the annual meeting of the American Bar Association, where topics included misconduct in the legal profession, judges’ tips for handling high-profile cases and threats to government officials from domestic extremists. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser also spoke about his personal and professional…
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Colorado Supreme Court drops ‘catch-all’ question about prospective judges’ backgrounds from application
Weeks before an Arapahoe County judge admitted he failed to disclose his affair with an employee when he was applying to be a judge, the Colorado Supreme Court dropped a question from the state’s judicial application form that asked candidates to disclose problematic information from their pasts – and provided grounds for discipline if they were…
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Colorado Supreme Court censures abusive ex-judge from Summit County for second time
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday censured an ex-trial judge from Summit County who, days after returning from suspension – which the Supreme Court previously ordered for his judicial and criminal misconduct – threatened to put two attorneys in jail and promised to humiliate them in front of 80 jurors for missing a deadline. Former District…
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Report: Formal judicial discipline proceedings increased in 2022, while corrective actions declined
Last year, the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline commenced more formal disciplinary cases against judges than it had in the prior 12 years total, according to the commission’s annual report, while at the same time issuing relatively few corrective actions. The commission’s 2022 report indicated it received 249 complaints, officially known as requests for evaluation…
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Oral arguments, caseloads and bad lawyering: Appellate judges and justices provide peek behind judicial curtain
Nearly all members of the Colorado Supreme Court and half of the judges on the Court of Appeals convened with attorneys on Friday to give a behind-the-scenes tour of the inner workings of the judiciary, and to voice concern about the escalating number of issues they are being asked to decide in appeals. The topics…
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Colorado appeals court judges should not sit in judgment of Supreme Court justices: Discipline panel
Allowing judges from the Colorado Court of Appeals to stand in judgment over a Supreme Court justice accused of misconduct would be fraught with the appearance of impropriety and potential conflicts of interest. So says the state Commission on Judicial Discipline in a letter to a panel of legislators scheduled to take up a trio…