justice monica marquez
-
Colorado lawmakers hear about increased judicial discipline complaints, fallout from Missy Woods misconduct
—
by
Members of the Colorado legislature’s judiciary committees heard about a large increase in complaints against judges and additional forensic misconduct that has come to light, during three days of oversight hearings last week. Leaders of several judicial-related agencies appeared between Jan. 20-23 to address their priorities and field questions from legislators. On behalf of the…
-
Divided Colorado Supreme Court curtails use of laced-substances defense
—
by
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday walked back the ability of criminal defendants to claim their conduct was the result of consuming an intoxicating substance that secretly contained another behavior-altering substance. Under state law, “involuntary intoxication” is an affirmative defense, meaning the prosecution has to disprove some component of that defense for the jury to…
-
Colorado justices say utilities commission overreached by immunizing Xcel in rate document
—
by
Xcel Energy cannot rely upon a rate-setting document to broadly immunize itself from liability against electrocutions, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday. The justices originally heard the electrocution-related lawsuit from Francisco Cuevas to decide whether Xcel’s tariff, which sets the rates and terms of service for its customers, shielded the utility from liability when…
-
Colorado justices weigh constitutionality of student backpack search based on confidential tip
—
by
The Colorado Supreme Court considered on Wednesday whether a tip submitted through the state’s confidential school safety system provided a Douglas County administrator with reasonable suspicion to search a student’s backpack for drugs. A trial judge blocked evidence from the search from being used against the child, prompting the district attorney’s office to appeal directly…
-
Colorado justices wary of expanding rezoning by ballot initiative
—
by
The Colorado Supreme Court appeared wary on Wednesday of allowing rezonings of planned-unit developments to occur through a vote at the ballot box, rather than a municipality’s detailed review process that accounts for specific factors. In contrast to traditional, or “Euclidean,” zoning that separates land uses by type, planned-unit developments are based on negotiated agreements on…
-
State Supreme Court oral arguments, discipline case resolved | COURT CRAWL
—
by
Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. The state Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week, plus disciplinary authorities resolved the misconduct case against a San Miguel County judge. At the Supreme Court • The Colorado Supreme Court has four cases on its docket this Wednesday. They…
-
Colorado lawmakers hear from chief justice about security needs, new judges
—
by
Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez asked members of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee on Tuesday to stay the course and fund the 10 new trial judgeships that Colorado lawmakers approved last year, and also explained her vision for enhancing judicial branch security. Responding to questions generated by committee members after a hearing last month on…
-
Appeals judge believes children’s representatives may challenge certain parental rights decisions
—
by
A member of Colorado’s second-highest court argued on Wednesday that, despite a recent state Supreme Court ruling prohibiting anyone other than the government from pursuing child-welfare cases, a child’s legal representative may still appeal certain decisions. By 2-1, a three-judge Court of Appeals panel decided it could not review a trial judge’s decision out of…
-
2025 Unfiltered: Colorado Supreme Court vacancy, surge in federal filings and more
—
by
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,…
-
‘Lawyers haven’t gotten the message’: Colorado justices hear debate about proposed AI rule
—
by
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…
