scotus
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Colorado Supreme Court: Redistricting plans for 2028 election cannot proceed under state constitution
The Colorado Supreme Court blocked all attempts at redrawing congressional district boundaries for the 2028 election from reaching the ballot on Monday, concluding each of the proposed ballot measures violated the constitutional single-subject requirement. The court considered five distinct but related ballot measures. Half of the proposals would have redrawn U.S. House of Representatives districts…
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Trump’s 10th Circuit nominee declines to name 2020 election winner, defends immigration decisions
President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Denver-based federal appeals court declined to say who won the 2020 presidential election during his appearance before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, and defended his recent rulings in immigration detention cases. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Daniel D. Domenico, who Trump appointed during his first term to…
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10th Circuit grants Boulder-Weld district’s fire chief immunity for firing union leader
The Denver-based federal appeals court decided on Monday that the chief of a fire protection district spanning Boulder and Weld counties could not be held liable for terminating a union leader through the process outlined in the collective bargaining agreement. A trial judge concluded Chief David Beebe of the Niwot-based Mountain View Fire Protection District…
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Judge approves injunction for Colorado Springs counselor after SCOTUS rules in conversion therapy case
A federal judge last week blocked Colorado from enforcing its restriction on conversion therapy for LGBTQ children against a Colorado Springs counselor, after both sides agreed that the state will not pursue professional disciplinary action while the case proceeds. The formalization of a preliminary injunction came days after one appellate judge argued that the Denver-based…
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Federal judge green-lights jury visit to Aurora detention center in forced-labor lawsuit
A federal judge granted a request on Thursday to have jurors visit the privately run U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Aurora as part of an upcoming civil trial over alleged forced labor practices. U.S. District Court Senior Judge John L. Kane said he wanted the “best possible trial,” and initially postponed his…
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Retired Colorado appeals judge speaks about civic advocacy, SCOTUS
Retired state Court of Appeals Judge Russell Carparelli offered mild critiques of the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month as he spoke about the rule of law, and urged lawyers to “get in the game” by advocating in the political arena. “I stayed out of politics completely. I never even signed up with one of…
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Municipal camping bans do not violate Colorado Constitution, says appeals court
Municipal ordinances that ban people from living on public property do not violate the Colorado Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, the state’s second-highest court ruled on Thursday. A three-judge Court of Appeals panel agreed that it was appropriate to rely on the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Eighth Amendment, which Colorado courts…
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SCOTUS decision on ‘3 strikes’ sentences does not benefit defendants with older convictions, appeals court says
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision affecting how defendants are sentenced under Colorado’s “three strikes” law does not benefit people whose convictions have long been final, the state’s second-highest court ruled on Thursday. For many years, Colorado’s Habitual Criminal Act required judges to impose three or four times the maximum sentence if a defendant was convicted of…
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SCOTUS arguments, varied workload: 6 Colorado solicitors general talk about job
Six current and former solicitors general of Colorado, including two who have since become members of the bench, spoke to attorneys on Wednesday about how the role has changed over time, what the workload entails, and their experiences arguing at the U.S. Supreme Court. “It is an incredible amount of time that you put in…
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Aurora not liable for suspended officer’s attack on woman, federal court rules
The Denver-based federal appeals court decided on Monday that the city of Aurora cannot be held liable for an officer’s attack on a woman while he was serving a suspension for shooting a different person. Wyoma Martinez filed suit against Officer Douglas Harroun and the city after Harroun used force against Martinez at her apartment…