justice nathan coats
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Colorado Supreme Court names William Hood as next chief justice
The Colorado Supreme Court has selected Justice William W. Hood III to be the next chief justice, the judicial branch announced on Friday. Hood will succeed Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez, who took over the role in July 2024. “I am honored by the confidence my colleagues have placed in me. Our judicial branch is…
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Federal judge dismisses ex-Colorado judicial discipline director’s conspiracy lawsuit
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from Colorado’s former judicial discipline director on Tuesday, finding that he failed to adequately state claims for conspiracy or constitutional violations. Christopher S.P. Gregory, who served as the executive director of the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline between 2022 and 2024, sought reinstatement to his former position, monetary damages, and the…
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Colorado Supreme Court weighs whether lifetime sex offender registration amounts to ‘punishment’
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court appeared wary last week of deeming lifetime sex offender registration “punishment,” even as they heard about the inescapable consequences for a person’s liberty and privacy. Under Colorado law, “sexually violent predators” are subject to lifetime sex offender registration. To qualify, they must be 18 years or older, convicted of certain offenses,…
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Colorado justices say judge had no grounds to order defendant to turn over info to prosecution
The Colorado Supreme Court agreed on Monday that a trial judge had no authority to order a defendant to give the prosecution a preview of what his expert witness would say at a hearing to challenge his murder convictions. In contrast to direct appeals of criminal convictions, defendants may pursue postconviction relief in the trial courts for…
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3 Colorado justices shrug off Trump decision, scandal fallout to cruise to retention
Three Colorado Supreme Court justices easily won their retention elections on Tuesday, brushing off a recent controversial decision to disqualify the Republican presidential candidate and disapproval of how the court handled a contracting scandal. Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez, Justice Brian D. Boatright and Justice Maria E. Berkenkotter were poised to secure new 10-year terms,…
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Report: Complaints against judges jumped in 2023, with several stemming from Trump disqualification case
Misconduct allegations against judges jumped by more than 38% between 2022 and 2023, with almost a dozen complaints stemming from last year’s proceedings to disqualify Donald Trump from the presidential primary ballot, according to a report from the state’s judicial discipline body. The summary report from the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline also noted an…
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Report: Complaints against judges jumped in 2023, with several stemming from Trump disqualification case
Misconduct allegations against judges jumped by more than 38% between 2022 and 2023, with almost a dozen complaints stemming from last year’s proceedings to disqualify Donald Trump from the presidential primary ballot, according to a report from the state’s judicial discipline body. The summary report from the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline also noted an…
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Report: Complaints against judges jumped in 2023, with several stemming from Trump disqualification case
Misconduct allegations against judges jumped by more than 38% between 2022 and 2023, with almost a dozen complaints stemming from last year’s proceedings to disqualify Donald Trump from the presidential primary ballot, according to a report from the state’s judicial discipline body. The summary report from the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline also noted an…
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Colorado Supreme Court develops chief justice ‘onboarding’ plan, an outlier among states
The Colorado Supreme Court has joined an apparent minority of its peers across the country in laying down a written transition plan for chief justices, who are executive leaders of the judicial branch in addition to their roles deciding cases. A “chief justice onboarding” document, drafted in 2022, outlines the duties of incoming Colorado chief…
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Former Colorado chief justice receives unprecedented public censure
Nathan B. Coats, the former chief justice of Colorado, received an unprecedented public censure on Monday for mishandling the award of a contract to a judicial branch employee who was facing termination for her own misconduct. Coats, who served as chief justice from 2018 through 2020, admitted to violating the Code of Judicial Conduct’s requirement…