sixth amendment
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State Supreme Court agrees to interpret felony animal cruelty, sex offender registration laws
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Colorado’s Supreme Court has agreed to interpret whether two state laws, criminalizing cruelty to animals and the failure to register as a sex offender, permit convictions to be transformed into felonies upon a judge’s findings alone, or if a jury must make that decision. Both cases came through the state’s Court of Appeals, where separate…
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Colorado’s high court reverses convictions over Adams County judge’s behavior toward defense counsel
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The Colorado Supreme Court reversed a man’s convictions because an Adams County judge violated his Sixth Amendment right to hire a different defense lawyer. The actions of District Court Judge Thomas R. Ensor, who had accused Palmer Gilbert of trying to delay his criminal proceedings, will now result in Gilbert receiving a new trial more…
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State Supreme Court agrees to hear cases on right to counsel, company’s alleged misstatements
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The Colorado Supreme Court recently agreed to hear appeals in three cases that question the interpretation of federal protections for investors as well as the constitutional guarantee of legal representation for the criminally accused. While the court took a pass on a fourth case involving a business dispute in Arapahoe County, two members indicated they…
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? Nicolais: Supreme Court reviews pulling back the jury curtain for racial bias
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The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees “an impartial jury” to all defendants. But what seems to be a clear and concise rule becomes much less so in practice. Most dramatically, whatever is said among deliberating jurors cannot be used to prove bias. No matter how far from impartial such statements may remove a…