Tag: constitution
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Federal judge declines to order Denver to let police critic apply for review board
A federal judge declined on Friday to order that Denver permit a longtime police critic to apply to join the board tasked with reviewing officers’ use of force. Regan Benson sought to become one of the two community members on the five-person Use of Force Review Board earlier this year. Command staff who were familiar…
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Federal judge dismisses claim against Colorado health department leaders over gas stove law
A federal judge last week dismissed the constitutional claim against leaders of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment over a 2025 law requiring health disclosures on new gas-fueled stoves. In June, Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 1161 into law, which requires retailers of gas stoves to affix a “yellow adhesive label” that…
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‘Utterly no precedent’: Federal judge expresses concerns about Jeffco’s early appeal in jail death case
A federal judge shared his concerns on Monday about Jefferson County’s appeal of a routine procedural order in a constitutional rights case, which the plaintiffs argued could spawn appeal-related delays in countless lawsuits against the government. During a hearing, U.S. District Court Judge S. Kato Crews noted he could find no decisions backing up the…
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Federal judge blocks Colorado law requiring social media platforms to provide warnings to children
A federal judge on Thursday blocked Colorado from implementing a requirement that social media companies notify users younger than 18 of the effects to their mental and physical health from using the platforms. Lawmakers enacted House Bill 1136 by wide margins in 2024, with a goal of providing “research-based education and interventions” about minors’ use…
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Colorado justices consider whether Denver police failed to respect suspect’s right to counsel
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court considered on Thursday whether Denver detectives improperly restarted their interrogation of a murder suspect who had clearly invoked his constitutional right to an attorney. The district attorney’s office characterized the circumstances as “peculiar.” When police initially brought in Dakotah Lulei for questioning, he was not under arrest. After receiving…
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10th Circuit rejects assortment of legal theories challenging workplace vaccine mandates
The Denver-based federal appeals court rejected an array of legal theories on Tuesday that challenged employers’ ability to impose COVID-19 vaccination requirements under the U.S. Constitution, laws governing emergency drug authorizations and the rules for human experimentation. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit followed in the footsteps of…
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Judge orders noncitizen released from immigration detention, finds government misapplied law
A federal judge concluded the government was likely wrong to detain a noncitizen without the chance for a release hearing, and ordered him to be let out of immigration custody on Friday. At the same time, U.S. District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez declined to green-light Nestor Esai Mendoza Gutierrez’s request to turn his lawsuit…
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Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against Olympic SafeSport over misconduct-related restrictions
A federal judge last month dismissed a lawsuit against the Colorado-based U.S. Center for SafeSport, brought by a Florida businessman who disputed the center’s ability to impose misconduct-related restrictions on him. Derek Strine owns an equestrian event facility that is used for developing horses into Olympic competitors. He is a member of the U.S. Equestrian…
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Federal judge to government: Shutdown not an excuse for delaying noncitizen’s challenge to detention
A federal judge rejected the government’s request last week to extend the deadlines in an immigration-related case due to the lapse in congressional funding, reminding the U.S. Department of Justice that constitutional rights are at stake. “The Government is constitutionally obligated to provide due process to Petitioner,” wrote U.S. District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher…
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Federal judge advances religious freedom claims of incarcerated amputee
A federal judge concluded last month that a Muslim man serving a life sentence at Colorado’s “supermax” prison may proceed with his claims that the government is violating his right to religious exercise by failing to install a water stream he can use to clean himself before praying. Mostafa Kamel Mostafa, also known as Abu…