mario nicolais
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Nicolais: Feds discontinue use of private prisons
It’s closing time for federal prisons run by private companies. And the reasons why say a lot about the current criminal justice system. According to a memo released by the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Prisons will be “beginning the process of reducing – and ultimately ending – our use of privately operated…
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Nicolais: Boulder sexual assault case provides no answers in a broken system
I don’t have the answer. I want that to be clear right from the beginning. As a member of the University of Colorado family, an attorney and stepfather to a college-aged woman, the stories regarding Austin Wilkerson and the sexual assault he committed leave me with many more questions than answers. I didn’t sit through…
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Nicolais: Courts cementing election rules for November and the future
With conventions concluded and presidential candidates trading barbs, recent voting rights cases barely show up on the election radar. The impact, both for the coming election and for decades to come, could be monumental. Two decisions in two key swing states could tip the balance of the campaign and lead to sweeping changes across the…
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Nicolais: Stigmatizing Dan Pabon
State Rep. Dan Pabon made a mistake. Nobody knows that better than Dan Pabon. After police video of his St. Patrick’s Day DUI arrest surfaced, Pabon again finds himself in an unwanted spotlight. Pabon appears on the tape pleading with an officer to avoid an arrest. As so often happens, one mistake led to another.…
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UPDATED: Judge tosses lawsuit aimed at keeping votes for Keyser from being counted
A judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed late last week to remove candidate Jon Keyser from the Republican U.S. Senate primary, contending that the plaintiffs had waited too long to file it. Denver District Judge Morris Hoffman ruled as military and overseas voters were beginning to return their ballots for the June…
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Nicolais: Race and justice
The 7-1 Supreme Court decision in Foster v. Chatman shed light on underlying and pervasive racial tensions that plague our justice system. Nearly 20 years after Timothy Foster’s conviction and death sentence, prosecutors’ recently released notes reveal race played a part in his jury selection. Foster is African-American, and prosecutors systematically challenged potential voters who…
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Keyser sues for ballot access in district court
Former state Rep. Jon Keyser took Secretary of State Wayne Williams to court Tuesday afternoon, asking a judge to overturn a ruling announced the day before that Keyser lacked a sufficient number of signatures to make the Republican primary ballot in the U.S. Senate race. Based on a review of Keyser’s initial court filings, the…
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Nicolais: Evenwel coverage an unfortunate emphasis on winners and losers
I wrote about Evenwel v. Abbott in my first column for the Statesman. At the time, the Supreme Court had just accepted the “one person, one vote” case. In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court reiterated that “one person, one vote” continues to be a constitutional rule when applied to the redistricting processes used by…
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The Hot Sheet, March 18, 2016
By TCS Publisher and Editor in Chief Jared Wright _@JaredWright_ DENVER — Good morning and happy Friday. As we head into a full weekend of county assemblies for both the Democrats and Republicans, good luck to each of you, whether you are a volunteer, a donor, a delegate, an alternate, campaign staff or the candidate. Pat yourselves…
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Nicolais: Going all in on SCOTUS
I like playing poker. Texas Hold’em in particular. Ever since I saw Matt Damon draw John Malkovich into going all in at the end of “Rounders,” I’ve been hooked. And, judging by the increased tournament stakes, ESPN replays, and sheer number of professional players, many others have, too. Apparently, that also includes the key players…