supreme court
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Sentencing practices, jury pet peeves and more: Federal judges give peek behind the curtain
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At a gathering of federal judges and attorneys last week, one member of the bench disclosed that she has instituted a new practice of meeting with criminal defendants after they finish their incarceration to discuss their plans for success on supervised release. “It’s not an interview, it’s a dialogue,” said U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte…
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Colorado AG’s office scolded by appeals court for belated shift in argument
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The Colorado Attorney General’s Office received a rebuke from the state’s second-highest court on Thursday after it asked a panel of appellate judges to reverse course on a recent decision with an argument it never raised previously. Under the state’s appellate rules, a party may submit a petition for rehearing to the Court of Appeals…
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State Capitol building closed Thursday
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The Colorado State Capitol building will be closed to the public on Thursday after an interior sewer line cracked and released sewage. According to a news release, the damaged line is located in the sub-basement of the building. While the leak has been contained, there is no estimate on how long repairs could take. As…
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Appeals court warns that prosecutor’s comments about her, victims’ race were improper
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Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday agreed an Arapahoe County prosecutor did not intentionally dismiss a Hispanic juror for race-based reasons, but her attempt to justify the removal by citing her own race and the race of the victims was improper. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals noted the prosecutor, in dismissing the Hispanic…
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Appeals court acknowledges ‘unfair’ outcome, upholds man’s lifetime sex offender registration
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Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday upheld a man’s requirement to register as a sex offender for life, while acknowledging state law made no exception for his 37-year-old conviction from outside Colorado that did not even require him to register at the time. Raymond Edward Moore has two convictions on his record for sex offenses: one…
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Federal judge declines to block Colorado’s ‘ghost gun’ prohibition
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A federal judge on Thursday rejected a request from gun rights advocates to block a recent Colorado law prohibiting the possession and transport of certain firearm components not imprinted with a serial number — known as “ghost guns.” To address the proliferation of guns privately assembled from kits or 3-D printers, the General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 279…
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Appeals court rules juries may have unrestricted access to ‘pretext’ calls between sex assault victims, suspects
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Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday ruled that trial judges may provide juries with unrestricted access during their deliberations to “pretext” phone calls made by sex assault victims to their alleged perpetrators with a goal of eliciting incriminating statements. The Court of Appeals had never before decided whether pretext calls should be treated like a defendant’s…
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Appeals court rules juries may have unrestricted access to ‘pretext’ calls between sex assault victims, suspects
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Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday ruled that trial judges may provide juries with unrestricted access during their deliberations to “pretext” phone calls made by sex assault victims to their alleged perpetrators with a goal of eliciting incriminating statements. The Court of Appeals had never before decided whether pretext calls should be treated like a defendant’s…
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Federal judge says defendant’s rights not violated by different meaning of ‘pimping’ in ‘Black culture’
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A federal judge last week rejected the argument that a defendant should receive a new child sex trafficking trial because his attorney failed to ensure jurors understood “pimping” allegedly meant something different in “Black/African-American culture.” Jalil Lemason Robinson is serving a nearly 16-year sentence after jurors convicted him on two counts related to the attempted…
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Federal judge says defendant’s rights not violated by different meaning of ‘pimping’ in ‘Black culture’
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A federal judge last week rejected the argument that a defendant should receive a new child sex trafficking trial because his attorney failed to ensure jurors understood “pimping” allegedly meant something different in “Black/African-American culture.” Jalil Lemason Robinson is serving a nearly 16-year sentence after jurors convicted him on two counts related to the attempted…