misconduct
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Ex-Arapahoe County Judge John Scipione censured for misconduct
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The Colorado Supreme Court censured former Arapahoe County District Court Judge John E. Scipione on Monday for his misconduct, which resulted in a pair of sexual harassment settlements totaling $130,000. In a document originally filed with the court in January 2023, Scipione agreed he failed to disclose an intimate relationship with a staff member, inappropriately…
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Trump-supporting attorney Lin Wood disbarred in Colorado’s federal trial court
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Colorado’s federal trial court on Thursday disbarred an attorney who spoke favorably about the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, called for former Vice President Mike Pence to be subjected to firing squads and claimed he had evidence of fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The penalty imposed on L. Lin Wood was based…
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Disciplinary judge approves lawyer’s suspension for using ChatGPT to generate fake cases
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A Colorado lawyer has received a suspension for using artificial intelligence to generate fake case citations in a legal brief and then lying about it. The presiding disciplinary judge’s imposition of punishment on Zachariah C. Crabill is apparently the first to implicate the improper use of AI. The head of Colorado’s attorney regulation office, Jessica…
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Federal judge allows ex-Florence employee’s retaliation claim to proceed against city
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A federal judge last month refused to dismiss a retaliation claim against the city of Florence, filed by a former employee who alleged she was pushed out for reporting malfeasance and discrimination at the water treatment plant. Sarah Glenn worked for the city for 1.5 years and was the only female employee at the plant.…
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Appeals court confirms Arapahoe County judge’s bias did not affect parenting case
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Although a former Arapahoe County judge admitted to racial bias and received a high-profile public censure two years ago for her misconduct, Colorado’s second-highest court agreed there was no evidence Natalie T. Chase harbored bias against a Hispanic father specifically when she terminated his parental rights. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals decided…
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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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High-profile cases, judicial misconduct and other legal topics explored at ABA meeting in Denver
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Lawyers and judges from across the country descended on Denver this week for the annual meeting of the American Bar Association, where topics included misconduct in the legal profession, judges’ tips for handling high-profile cases and threats to government officials from domestic extremists. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser also spoke about his personal and professional…
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Colorado appeals court, 2-1, rules defendant not entitled to arresting officer’s discipline file
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In a divided ruling, Colorado’s second-highest court found a man convicted of assaulting an Arapahoe County sheriff’s deputy was not entitled to a review of the victim’s personnel records and potential history of excessive force. Marcos Casillas did not dispute that he was guilty of resisting arrest and obstructing a peace officer, nor that he…
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Colorado appeals court agrees media organizations not entitled to police officer records
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The state’s second-highest court on Thursday agreed the Colorado Attorney General’s Office acted reasonably by refusing to provide two media outlets with records of police officers who are certified and, for misconduct-related reasons, decertified as law enforcement. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals determined the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board qualifies…
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Appeals court rebuffs prosecutor’s claim that jury must disbelieve victim to acquit defendant
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A Gilpin County prosecutor committed misconduct when he told jurors they would have to believe the victim “fabricated this whole entire thing” in order to acquit a defendant of sexual assault, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled on Thursday. Nonetheless, a three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals found the prosecutor’s misrepresentation of the law did not…
