us district court
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Federal judges’ backlog holds steady on Colorado’s district court
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As of Sept. 30, Colorado’s federal trial judges collectively had 73 motions in civil cases that had been sitting on their dockets for at least six months without a ruling. The Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990 requires public reporting of motions awaiting action in civil matters assigned to each district judge and magistrate judge. Twice a year,…
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Fake evidence, new expectations and morality: Judges talk about AI in the law
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Judge Lino S. Lipinsky de Orlov shared with an audience of lawyers on Wednesday a story from last year’s judicial conference about one trial judge who suspected an attorney representing a domestic violence victim submitted a fake photo to the court of their badly beaten client. “The judge asked: Was this AI generated? And the…
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Trump’s executive orders prompt US Attorney Office to pull out of Colorado judge’s diversity program
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A pair of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump this week has prompted the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Colorado to withdraw from a federal judge’s longstanding internship program for law students of diverse backgrounds. Retired U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix started the Diversity Internship Program in 2014 to place University of Colorado and…
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2024 closes period of turnover on Colorado’s bench | YEAR IN REVIEW
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New faces, new initiatives and a new judicial discipline process were among the developments in the third branch of government this year. Although much of the public’s focus was on the battle for the White House and Congress, several stories implicating the courts will have reverberations for years to come. Here is a look at…
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Biden vetoes bill that would have given Colorado 2 more federal judges
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President Joe Biden vetoed legislation on Monday that would have added two seats to Colorado’s federal trial court and a total of 66 federal judgeships nationwide. The JUDGES Act would have increased the size of federal district courts in two-year increments over multiple presidential administrations. Colorado, which has had seven active district judges for 40 years, would…
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Colorado’s federal judges give themselves increased disciplinary power over attorneys
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The judges of Colorado’s federal trial court have voted to give themselves the power to refer lawyers for discipline — potentially resulting in suspension or disbarment — simply for violating individual courtroom protocols. Without explanation, the U.S. District Court amended its local rules effective Dec. 1 to permit judges to impose “additional standards of professional conduct” beyond those contained…
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4 federal judges in Colorado advocate for Congress to create new judgeships
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Four federal judges from Colorado were among the hundreds of signatories this month to a letter urging Congress to pass legislation creating 66 new judgeships in trial courts across multiple presidential administrations — starting next year with President-elect Donald Trump. This summer, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the JUDGES Act, which would increase the size of…
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‘Reality testing’ cases: Federal judge speaks about lessons learned in first year on the job
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Following her first 15 months on the job, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathryn A. Starnella spoke on Tuesday about her evolving approach on the bench, including her expectations of attorneys who want her assistance in facilitating settlements of civil cases. Of the more than 3,000 cases filed in Colorado’s federal trial court annually, only a small…
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‘On the verge of a renaissance’: Colorado’s chief magistrate judge encourages use of settlement conferences
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Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty told an audience of lawyers on Wednesday that despite his status as the most prolific settler of cases on Colorado’s federal trial court, his upcoming retirement should not be cause for concern that settlements will diminish. “I fully believe there are many cases that should be tried to…
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Trump presidency raises possibility of 10th Circuit vacancy, with eyes on Domenico
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With President-elect Donald Trump taking office in January and a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate, the federal appeals court in Denver could soon see a vacancy arise for one of its Colorado-based seats. Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich has sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit for more than 20 years.…