Tag: first amendment
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Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against Denver officials over 2020 pro-police rally
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Denver’s former mayor and several city officials alleging they conspired with those who violently disrupted a pro-police rally four years ago in Civic Center Park. Weeks after a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd in May 2020, sparking international demonstrations, a scheduled “Law Enforcement Appreciation Day” event…
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Federal judge throws out attorney’s defamation claim against local blogger
A federal judge on Thursday threw out an attorney’s defamation claim against a blogger who was critical of her work representing a special district in Jefferson County and who, she believed, contributed to the district’s decision to oust her. Mary Joanne “Jo” Deziel Timmins sued the Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District after it fired her…
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Federal judge green-lights jury trial for Denver police response to 2020 protests
A federal judge decided earlier this month that a jury will evaluate whether the City and County of Denver and one Aurora police officer violated the constitutional rights of 13 plaintiffs who were injured during the police response to protests in downtown Denver in May 2020. In a pair of March 1 orders, U.S. District…
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Federal judge allows ‘supermax’ prisoner’s limited religious freedom claims to proceed
A federal judge last week permitted a Muslim man serving a life sentence in Colorado’s “supermax” prison for terrorism-related offenses to pursue a limited number of religious freedom claims against the government. Mostafa Kamel Mostafa, also known as Abu Hamza, arrived at the U.S. Penitentiary – Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence in 2015. A British citizen, Mostafa was…
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Judge hears from psychologists, pre-K director in Catholic schools’ challenge to Colorado program
The director of Colorado’s universal prekindergarten program and a pair of experts in child psychology testified on Wednesday about the importance of LGBTQ inclusion as a trial continued in federal court over a constitutional challenge to the pre-K program’s non-discrimination requirements. Two Catholic institutions, St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton and St. Bernadette Catholic Parish in Lakewood,…
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Federal judge begins trial on Catholic schools’ claims against Colorado preschool program
A federal judge heard arguments and testimony beginning on Tuesday over whether Colorado’s new universal pre-kindergarten program unconstitutionally forces a pair of Catholic preschools to violate their religious beliefs about sexual orientation and gender identity in order to participate as providers. In August, the Archdiocese of Denver and other plaintiffs brought suit against the state,…
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Right to record: Federal court may recognize First Amendment right to document police
It had been barely 10 seconds since Lakewood Police Agent Ahmed Yehia stepped out of his patrol vehicle before things escalated. “You got a f—in’ problem, you f—in’ goon? Get the f–k out of my f—in’ line, man,” protested Abade Irizarry, the man holding a video camera, after Yehia stopped roughly 1 foot in front…
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Attorney general issues cease-and-desist order to Woodland Park Bible conference
The Colorado attorney general has issued a cease-and desist order to Andrew Wommack Ministries of Woodland Park, saying the organization’s Summer Family Bible Conference violated public health orders. The July 2 order for the week-long conference that started June 29 comes as churches holding indoor services have become hot spots for outbreaks of COVID-19, the…
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State Supreme Court establishes new criteria for threatening speech in teen tweet case
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday established a five-part test for determining whether a communication is protected speech under the First Amendment or a threat, stemming from a bellicose exchange between teenagers on Twitter. “We hold that a true threat is a statement that, considered…
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State Supreme Court establishes new criteria for threatening speech in teen tweet case
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday established a five-part test for determining whether a communication is protected speech under the First Amendment or a threat, stemming from a bellicose exchange between teenagers on Twitter. “We hold that a true threat is a statement that, considered in context and under the totality of the circumstances, an…