justice melissa hart
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10th Circuit judge creates vacancy, district court gets new chief judge | COURT CRAWL
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Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. A longtime member of the Denver-based federal appeals court will give the president a vacancy to fill, plus Colorado’s federal trial court will see a change in its leadership this week. Colorado Supreme Court update • At some point today, the…
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Susan Blanco new Colorado Supreme Court justice
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Chief Judge Susan Blanco of Larimer and Jackson counties is the newest member of the Colorado Supreme Court, Gov. Jared Polis announced on Tuesday. “A few words come to mind: Innovation. Excellence. Creativity. Hard work. These are values we need across society,” said Polis during a news conference announcing Blanco’s appointment. Blanco, 48, became a…
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Supreme Court finalists selected, federal judges slash backlogs | COURT CRAWL
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Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. Coloradans learned who the three finalists are for a state Supreme Court vacancy, and new data show that Colorado’s federal trial judges reduced their backlog of motions in civil cases. Supreme Court vacancy • With the unexpected departure of Justice Melissa…
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Who are the 3 finalists for the Colorado Supreme Court?
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A citizen-led nominating commission has chosen the finalists for a vacancy on the Colorado Supreme Court, the first opening in five years on the seven-member court. The vacancy arose after the unexpected resignation of Justice Melissa Hart, who formally departed on Jan. 5 following an extended “leave of absence” since the fall. The three finalists…
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State Supreme Court holds oral arguments, 10th Circuit revives dormant initiative | COURT CRAWL
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Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. The state Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in multiple civil and criminal cases, plus the Denver-based federal appeals court is doing something unusual for its own round of arguments this week. At the Supreme Court • In a rare…
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In rare move, evenly divided Colorado Supreme Court issues no opinion on child welfare case
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The Colorado Supreme Court, in an extraordinary move, could not reach agreement on Monday about whether a child’s legal representative has the authority to file a motion to terminate parental rights in a child welfare proceeding. The 3-3 vote was a product of Justice Melissa Hart’s announced departure from the court in mid-December. She cited…
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State Supreme Court vacancy opens, year in review | COURT CRAWL
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Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. The application period is now open for the first state Supreme Court vacancy in five years, plus Colorado Politics looked back on the significant judicial developments from 2025. At the Supreme Court • The Colorado Supreme Court halted the practice of…
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2025 Unfiltered: Colorado Supreme Court vacancy, surge in federal filings and more
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This year was awash in legal news nationally, with federal courts taking an outsize role in responding to executive branch actions. In Colorado, that effect was evident, but it was not the only factor at play. Here are the top developments in 2025 from the state and federal judiciaries. Unexpected vacancy There was an unusual,…
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Justice Hart to leave Supreme Court, new recs from Access to Justice Commission | COURT CRAWL
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Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. A member of the Colorado Supreme Court unexpectedly announced her retirement from the bench, plus the state’s Access to Justice Commission has made recommendations following a renewed listening tour. Justice Hart exits • Justice Melissa Hart, a member of the Colorado…
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Justice Melissa Hart to step down from Colorado Supreme Court
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Justice Melissa Hart will step down from the Colorado Supreme Court effective Jan. 5, the Judicial Department announced unexpectedly on Friday. Hart has been on an unexplained and unusual leave of absence from the court since Oct. 28. She told Colorado Politics in November that the leave was for “family and personal health reasons” but provided no…
