Author: midtcgazette
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Appeals court calls out Denver judge for illogical denial of sentence reduction
A Denver judge wrongly rejected a convicted defendant’s request for a sentence reduction because his stated reasons for denying the motion could not possibly have been true, Colorado’s second-highest court concluded on Thursday. Jurors convicted Brent M. Kelley in 2018 of second-degree murder and a drug offense. He received a 47-year prison sentence. After appealing…
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Federal judge dismisses bulk of claims against UCCS, employees over instructor’s alleged predatory behavior
A federal judge on Monday dismissed several claims by a former University of Colorado Springs student pertaining to one professor’s alleged sexual misconduct towards her. Kristen Gearhart filed suit in April 2024 against the university, its chancellor, multiple employees and mathematics Prof. Mark Tomforde. She alleged Tomforde had a history of misconduct toward women at…
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Judge dismisses constitutional claim against detective despite ‘eyebrow-raising’ investigation into motel
A federal judge on Friday dismissed a Greenwood Village motel operator’s constitutional rights claim against a detective who allegedly singled out the establishment for a criminal investigation based on its willingness to house people with disabilities long-term. Zarrin Hospitality Group, Inc. is the operator of a Motel 6 at 9201 E. Arapahoe Road. Its owner…
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Appeals court finds no discrimination in dismissals of jurors of color across 3 cases
Colorado’s second-highest court recently agreed prosecutors did not unconstitutionally remove jurors of color in three criminal cases for racial reasons. The Court of Appeals encountered significant variation in how the trial judges approached the prosecution’s dismissal of each juror. One judge explained the circumstances at length, one judge gave virtually no explanation and the third…
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Judicial recusals on Colorado’s federal trial court, state Supreme Court examines family law system | COURT CRAWL
Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. Colorado’s federal judges recused themselves from cases more than 200 times in four years, plus one of the state’s justices indicated the Colorado Supreme Court is looking at ways to improve the family law system. Heard on appeal • The Colorado…
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Federal judge finds no civil rights violation for Black family alleging discrimination at Chili’s
A federal judge concluded last week that a Black family’s negative experience at a Denver Chili’s restaurant was not the product of intentional racial discrimination, but rather the staff’s belief that the customers previously walked out without paying for their meal. Markesha Futrell-Smith filed claims under state and federal civil rights law, alleging a Chili’s…
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Colorado’s federal judges recused 200+ times in 4 years for variety of reasons
A handful of magistrate judges accounted for a large portion of the recusals
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Discipline rules released, federal judges with part-time teaching jobs handle CU cases | COURT CRAWL
Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. The body charged with making rules for judicial discipline has released three proposed rules for public comment, plus multiple federal judges in Colorado handled cases involving the institution where they simultaneously taught as adjunct professors. Heard on appeal • The Colorado…
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Water conservation takes center stage at 2025 Colorado Water Congress in Steamboat Springs
As the Lee Fire tears through more than 137,000 drought-parched acres in northwest Colorado — now the fifth largest wildfire in state history — hundreds of water experts and policymakers gathered just miles away in Steamboat Springs for the 2025 Summer Colorado Water Congress Conference “It’s a great turnout this year,” said the Water Congress’s…
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US destroyers head toward waters off Venezuela as Trump aims to pressure drug cartels
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is deploying three Aegis guided-missile destroyers to the waters off Venezuela as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels, according to a U.S. official briefed on the planning. The USS Gravely, the USS Jason Dunham and the USS Sampson are expected to…