magistrate judge kristen mix
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‘Opportunity to level the playing field’: Federal judges deliver pro bono pitch to lawyers
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Two years ago, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix faced a disturbing set of allegations from a prisoner in federal court. The man, incarcerated at the Colorado State Penitentiary, alleged he was a prosecution witness in the trial of another inmate who committed murder. He asked to be housed in protective custody, but instead the…
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Colorado’s federal trial court rolls out ‘chief magistrate judge’ position
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Colorado’s federal trial court recently inaugurated a new leadership position, “chief magistrate judge,” in response to a request from the entire magistrate judge bench. Michael E. Hegarty, the most senior magistrate judge who joined the court in 2006, will be the first to hold the title of chief. “Judge Michael Hegarty is one of the…
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Federal judge dismisses inmate’s lawsuit over alleged assault from living with gay cellmate
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A federal judge last month dismissed an incarcerated man’s lawsuit against two corrections officers who allegedly left him in a cell with a gay inmate, despite knowing other prisoners would attack him for rooming with a “known homosexual.” Although judges have analyzed other cases involving prisoners’ claims that their sexual orientation posed a risk of…
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6 months or more: Federal judges in Colorado have trouble moving cases forward | COVER STORY
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When Charlotte N. Sweeney took the bench as a federal district judge last summer, she inherited hundreds of pending motions on her first day, some of which had been lingering for years. “You have to dig out of that or you will never, ever, ever catch up,” she warned at a legal event in July. Some…
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Kathryn Starnella, who ‘never does anything halfway,’ ceremonially sworn in as federal judge
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Before Kathryn A. Starnella moved to Colorado more than a decade ago to clerk for a federal judge, she prepared for the job by volunteering at the federal court in Chicago. Then when Colorado’s U.S. District Court announced last year that she would be joining the bench as a magistrate judge, Starnella spent her free…
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Naturalization: The little-known, big-impact work of Colorado’s federal court | COVER STORY
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“Fans, direct your attention to the field,” an announcer’s voice boomed over the mostly empty seats at Coors Field. The Colorado Rockies’ game against the Miami Marlins was not ready to begin, nor were the teams in sight. Instead, cheers, waves and shouts of “god bless America” came in response to the 25 people huddled…
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Divided 10th Circuit restricts judges’ ability to address unfair arbitration outcomes
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Even if a private arbitrator did not follow the agreed-upon procedures or explain her reasoning, a man could not ask a judge to order a redo of his age discrimination proceedings, the federal appeals court based in Denver ruled on Monday. The effect of the decision was to clarify – and narrow – the ability of judges to step…
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Federal judges dole out harsh words, monetary sanctions for lawyers’ conduct
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In recent months, judges on Colorado’s federal trial court have delivered stinging rebukes to lawyers – and in some instances, monetary penalties – for their behavior in the course of litigation. Although it is typical for judges to deliver critiques of lawyers’ legal arguments, it is less common for them to lay down accusations of unprofessionalism and…
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The 20-minute lifeline: Colorado’s federal court eyes a new program to aid those behind bars | COVER STORY
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With nearly two dozen state prisons and multiple federal facilities in Colorado, federal judges routinely hear lawsuits from incarcerated men and women alleging violations of their rights. The claims range from excessive force and indifference to medical needs to unconstitutional infringements on prisoners’ religious exercise. For the most part, the plaintiffs do not have a…
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Bureau of Land Management’s do-over search for environmental records satisfied law, court says
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Two years after she ordered the Bureau of Land Management to redo its search for documents in response to an environmental group’s open records request, a federal judge now agrees the agency largely complied with the order. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix originally found BLM did not fulfill its obligations under the Freedom of…
