misconduct
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State Supreme Court upholds discipline against divorce attorney for misconduct
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The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld multiple findings of misconduct against a Denver divorce attorney for prioritizing her own payment above her client’s interests, going so far as to conceal a check she should have disclosed to the other side. Following proceedings before the state’s presiding disciplinary judge last year, Brenda L. Storey received…
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10th Circuit finds federal judge likely created abusive environment
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The governing body for the federal appeals court based in Denver revealed it found credible evidence a judge in New Mexico was responsible for an abusive and hostile workplace environment. In a rare public order following a disciplinary investigation, the Judicial Council for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit indicated the likely…
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Appeals court overturns Denver murder conviction due to prosecutor’s misconduct
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Although a single improper statement by a prosecutor during trial will rarely lead to the reversal of a defendant’s convictions, Colorado’s second-highest court last week decided such an extraordinary consequence was necessary – overturning a man’s second-degree murder conviction and 48-year prison sentence. A jury convicted Cain Wilkens in 2018 of murdering his wife, Clarissa…
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Judicial discipline commission considered 17 cases in 2021, issued several private reprimands
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The body in charge of disciplinary proceedings against state judges investigated 17 complaints in 2021, ultimately imposing private discipline on a handful of trial judges. Although the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline received 200 requests for evaluation, as complaints are known, the commission rejected 183 of them outright for failing to plausibly allege a violation…
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State Supreme Court adopts new accountability standard for prosecutors
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The Colorado Supreme Court has clarified the circumstances under which prosecutors may face professional sanctions for failing to disclose information that they know, or should know, would cast doubt on the guilt of the criminally accused. The rule change also quietly reversed the high court’s two-decade-old precedent requiring disclosure to defendants only when evidence is…
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Nicolais: A police department’s pattern of unconstitutional conduct
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In 164 pages, the U.S. Department of Justice eviscerated the Chicago Police Department. After a year-long investigation, the DOJ found the CPD “engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional use of force.” The detailed report outlines a systematic failure, not only in the CPD, but the entire city government for its dereliction to oversee and provide…
