pro se
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2 federal judges provide rare glimpse into lawyers’ reviews of their performance
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Two of Colorado’s federal judges on Thursday provided a rare behind-the-scenes look at the performance reviews attorneys have given them, including those that are less-than-flattering. “He looks embarrassing on the bench. Disheveled, disinterested and unprepared,” wrote one lawyer. “Disheveled?” said the target of the review, U.S. Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter. “Sometimes I ride my…
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Douglas County judge wrongly let man represent himself, appeals court rules in reversing convictions
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A Douglas County judge was wrong to let a man represent himself at trial without ensuring he understood the basic elements of his case first, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled on Thursday in overturning the defendant’s convictions. The Court of Appeals’ decision was the second time this year it ordered a new trial for David Antonio…
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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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Appeals court overturns convictions of mentally ill man who represented himself
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An Arapahoe County judge improperly allowed a mentally ill man to represent himself at trial, stating explicitly that the defendant was “making no sense whatsoever” before letting him proceed alone, Colorado’s second highest court ruled in ordering a new trial. Then-District Court Judge Michael Spear attempted to convince David Antonio Ruffin that he would be…
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Second federal judge in Colorado adopts plain English summaries in decisions
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A second federal judge in Colorado appears to have adopted the practice of summarizing her decisions in plain English for people who represent themselves before the court. U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney, a 2022 appointee of President Joe Biden, recently issued multiple written orders in cases where the plaintiffs are “pro se,” meaning…
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Federal judge in Colorado Springs deploys new tool for self-represented plaintiffs
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The lone federal judge stationed in Colorado Springs has quietly adopted a new tool to make it easier for people representing themselves in court to understand what is happening with their case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell, who joined the bench last summer, is now adding plain English summaries at the beginning of her…
