Tag: judge christine arguello
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‘Take me up to the 10th Circuit’: Federal judge, civil rights attorney defiant as $18,000 sanction on the line
A federal judge and a prominent civil rights attorney both stood their ground at a hearing on Thursday over an impending $18,000 sanction resulting from a failure to turn over evidence as ordered. Sasha Cronick is pursuing claims of unreasonable search and seizure and false arrest against Colorado Springs officers who handcuffed her minutes after…
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Federal judge weighs legality of agency actions in ongoing expansion of Denver Water reservoir
A federal judge on Friday had numerous questions for the government and Denver Water about the ongoing construction of a key infrastructure project in Boulder County, as multiple advocacy groups seek to overturn the underlying permit based on alleged violations of federal law. Six environmental groups are requesting that U.S. District Court Senior Judge Christine…
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Federal judge slams civil rights attorneys for ‘enabling and facilitating’ disobedience of court order
A federal judge vented her frustration at a pair of civil rights attorneys last month for continuing to protest her finding that sanctions are warranted in the wake of their client’s refusal to turn over evidence to the defense. Sasha Cronick is pursuing claims of unreasonable search and seizure and false arrest against Colorado Springs…
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Federal judge again declines to dismiss torture charges against West African man
A federal judge this month again declined to dismiss multiple criminal charges on constitutional grounds in the unique prosecution of a West African man living in Colorado, whose alleged acts of torture in his home country could violate U.S. law. Michael Sang Correa faces seven torture-related counts for his involvement in the investigation of an…
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‘Pick your battles’: Federal judge walks lawyers through do’s and don’ts of jury instructions
Jury instructions should be relevant, accurate, brief and understandable. Those were the key points emphasized by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Christine M. Arguello on Friday during a presentation to lawyers at the federal courthouse in downtown Denver. She said the “straw that broke the camel’s back” and prompted her to speak publicly about the…
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Despite trial error, 10th Circuit upholds Mesa County man’s child sex convictions
Although a trial judge wrongly permitted jurors to see a 9-year-old video of a child victim’s accusations, the federal appeals court based in Denver upheld the sex-related convictions of a Mesa County man last month. Michael Tracy McFadden was originally convicted in state court for sexually assaulting multiple children, including on trips out of state through his…
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Federal judges’ financial disclosures reveal frequent travelers, income sources, minor errors
A review of judges’ financial disclosures for the federal trial and appeals courts headquartered in Denver reveals a range of income sources, a handful of judges who are frequent travelers to conferences and seminars, plus one judge’s minor — but repeated — errors in reporting. Pursuant to federal law, judges must file annual financial disclosures plus periodic…
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Colorado’s federal judges slash motions backlog, with a little outside help
Data released last month by the federal judiciary showed that several of Colorado’s federal trial judges successfully reduced or even eliminated the volume of motions pending for six months or longer on their dockets. The Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990 requires public reporting of motions awaiting action for more than six months in civil matters assigned to…
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10th Circuit finds trial judge erred in sentencing duo who fraudulently sold body parts
A trial judge incorrectly calculated the sentences of a mother and daughter who pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining and selling body parts as part of an eight-year scheme, the federal appeals court based in Denver ruled on Tuesday. Megan Hess operated Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors in Montrose, catering to customers seeking cremation as well as medical-research…
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Divided 10th Circuit keeps ‘zombie’ claims alive against federal prison officials
The federal appeals court based in Denver rejected the appeal of prison officials accused of using excessive force against an incarcerated man, reasoning earlier this month that even if the U.S. Supreme Court’s precedent means the claims will ultimately fail, an immediate appeal was not the answer. The appeal from the Federal Bureau of Prisons…