u.s. district court
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Q&A with Frances Koncilja | Longtime player in judicial nominations speaks about selection process
Over the past three years, Colorado’s federal trial court has seen extensive turnover, with President Joe Biden appointing four members of the seven-judge district court and a fifth nominee awaiting confirmation in the U.S. Senate. By tradition, senators wield enormous power over district judge appointments in their states. Early in Biden’s presidency, U.S. Sens. Michael…
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Trump-supporting attorney Lin Wood disbarred in Colorado’s federal trial court
Colorado’s federal trial court on Thursday disbarred an attorney who spoke favorably about the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, called for former Vice President Mike Pence to be subjected to firing squads and claimed he had evidence of fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The penalty imposed on L. Lin Wood was based…
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6 months or more: Federal judges in Colorado have trouble moving cases forward | COVER STORY
When Charlotte N. Sweeney took the bench as a federal district judge last summer, she inherited hundreds of pending motions on her first day, some of which had been lingering for years. “You have to dig out of that or you will never, ever, ever catch up,” she warned at a legal event in July. Some…
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Kathryn Starnella, who ‘never does anything halfway,’ ceremonially sworn in as federal judge
Before Kathryn A. Starnella moved to Colorado more than a decade ago to clerk for a federal judge, she prepared for the job by volunteering at the federal court in Chicago. Then when Colorado’s U.S. District Court announced last year that she would be joining the bench as a magistrate judge, Starnella spent her free…
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Mesa County judge imposed illegal sentence, appeals court finds
Colorado’s second-highest court last week agreed that a Mesa County judge imposed an illegal sentence and also failed to adequately explain why he subjected a defendant to lifetime sex offender registration. Mesa County District Court Judge Richard T. Gurley sentenced Joshua James Ellis to 15 years in prison plus five years of parole after Ellis…
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Naturalization: The little-known, big-impact work of Colorado’s federal court | COVER STORY
“Fans, direct your attention to the field,” an announcer’s voice boomed over the mostly empty seats at Coors Field. The Colorado Rockies’ game against the Miami Marlins was not ready to begin, nor were the teams in sight. Instead, cheers, waves and shouts of “god bless America” came in response to the 25 people huddled…
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Mesa County judge chosen to be part-time federal judge
Mesa County District Court Judge Richard T. Gurley will be Colorado’s next federal judge, taking office as the U.S. District Court’s part-time magistrate judge stationed in Grand Junction. Gov. Bill Owens appointed Gurley in 2006, eight years after the latter moved to Colorado from Florida. Prior to joining the judiciary, Gurley practiced criminal defense and…
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Federal judge, lawyers discuss consequences of misconduct at U.S. District Court
Although the Colorado Supreme Court has a staffed office dedicated to investigating complaints of attorney misconduct, the federal trial court based in Denver has its own, smaller operation to respond to rule breaking – even when it occurs outside of the state. On Sept. 15, members of the U.S. District Court’s Committee on Conduct appeared alongside…
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Colorado’s federal trial court experienced record trial delay, historic acquittal rate in 2022
Colorado’s federal trial court last year saw civil cases take an unprecedented amount of time – more than 43 months since filing, on average – to reach a jury trial, as well as a historically high rate of acquittals in criminal cases. On Aug. 30, U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty presented a wide-ranging statistical report about…
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‘An Energizer Bunny’: Susan Prose ceremonially sworn in as federal judge
The last time the federal government shut down, many employees needed to halt their work until Congress and the White House resolved the funding dispute. For Susan Prose, a lawyer with the U.S. Attorney’s Office at the time, it was reportedly her “personal hell.” Kevin Traskos, a supervisor in the office, said after a few…