parental rights
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In rare move, evenly divided Colorado Supreme Court issues no opinion on child welfare case
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The Colorado Supreme Court, in an extraordinary move, could not reach agreement on Monday about whether a child’s legal representative has the authority to file a motion to terminate parental rights in a child welfare proceeding. The 3-3 vote was a product of Justice Melissa Hart’s announced departure from the court in mid-December. She cited…
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Appeals court clarifies framework for parents’ First Amendment rights in child-naming disputes
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Colorado’s second-highest court overturned a Jefferson County judge’s order last week in a long-running dispute about whether two ex-spouses must call their child by his first name or middle name outside the home. In doing so, a three-judge Court of Appeals panel clarified that the standard for restricting a parent’s free speech rights is a…
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Appeals judge raises questions about review of custody decisions
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A member of Colorado’s second-highest court suggested last week that appellate judges should have more leeway to decide whether trial judges correctly terminate or decline to terminate parents’ legal rights over their children. At the same time, the three-judge Court of Appeals panel agreed that no specific person has to be identified in order for…
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Parental rights group seeks to repeal competency law
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A group of parental rights advocates and Republican lawmakers is urging the Colorado legislature to repeal a 2024 law that made changes to the state’s competency procedures. Established over the summer, the group called We The Parents includes members of the Colorado Parental Advocacy Network and legislators from the more conservative wing of the Republican…
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Appeals court finds Denver judge terminated man’s parental rights based on faulty reasoning
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Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday determined the evidence did not support a Denver judge’s ruling terminating the legal relationship between a father and his child. A three-judge Court of Appeals panel identified numerous instances where the facts contradicted the trial judge’s findings that the father lacked stable housing and was unable to be “a full-time…
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10th Circuit considers whether parents can pursue relief from Colorado ‘chosen name’ law, policies
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Some members of the Denver-based federal appeals court on Tuesday appeared skeptical of an attempt by two parents to block a Colorado law requiring public schools to use a student’s chosen name, as well as their school district’s corresponding policy intended to support LGBTQ students. At the same time, one judge’s questioning seemed sympathetic to…
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Federal judge dismisses challenge to Jeffco overnight field trip policy’s reliance on gender identity
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A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a constitutional challenge to the overnight field trip policy of Jeffco Public Schools, filed by multiple families who objected to rooming assignments based on students’ gender identities as opposed to their sex assigned at birth. U.S. District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez concluded the 14th Amendment’s protection of a…
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Appeals court clarifies defendant need not prove relationship with own children to modify restraining order
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Colorado’s second-highest court clarified on Thursday that a defendant did not need to demonstrate the nature of his relationship with his biological children in order to argue that a no-contact order infringed on his constitutional rights. Last year, the Colorado Supreme Court issued a decision in Salah v. People, addressing what should happen when a convicted sex offender…
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Appeals court finds Denver judge relied on unsupported facts to restrict man’s parenting time
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Colorado’s second-highest court concluded last week that a Denver judge made “clearly erroneous” findings about a father’s sobriety and his request for parenting time when she imposed strict conditions on visitations with his children. Following a virtual April 2024 hearing in which both parents were without a lawyer, then-District Court Judge Jennifer Torrington issued an…
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Appeals court finds judge did not punish man for religious beliefs when giving ex-wife parenting authority
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Colorado’s second-highest court last month rejected a man’s claim that a Larimer County judge unconstitutionally penalized him for expressing religious beliefs critical of homosexuality when she awarded parental decision-making to his ex-wife. District Court Judge Laurie K. Dean gave Brandon Ribble’s ex-wife broad decision-making responsibility for the couple’s children as a result of their divorce.…
