NEW: Judge Gina Rodriguez said she had no reason to believe the federal government won't follow her orders "under normal circumstances." For now, she'll only consider a declaratory judgment about the rights of detained noncitizens, rather than something more: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/20/f...

Colorado's Court of Appeals believed traffic signals aren't "conflicting" if one direction is dark and the other direction is functional, reasoning that drivers can logically figure it out. But the Supreme Court doesn't seem to buy that technicality: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/19/c...

The Colorado Supreme Court seems receptive to the idea that lawyers can borrow allegations from other litigation for use in their complaints, provided that there is some investigation into the assertions made: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/19/c...

I always kind of assumed this was happening but never thought anyone would be dumb enough to spell it out in an email!

we are returning to the state in which the framers intended for the legislature, in which the lower chamber and the upper chamber absolutely despise one another

#copolitics campaign finance decision a long time coming: this Colorado Supremes case is originally from 2020. Since then: a new law with specific percentages on nonprofit spending on ballot measures. Unite for Colorado changed its name to Advance Colorado Action. via @michaelkarlik.bsky.social

Colorado lawmakers may have passed a partially unconstitutional law by providing that judges' anti-SLAPP orders go to the Court of Appeals. Yesterday, the Colorado Supreme Court suggested that may work sometimes, but not for certain county court decisions: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/18/c...

The Colorado Supreme Court may intervene in 4 cases about: -testimony contextualizing parent-child violence -whether a judge should've accepted a jury's partial acquittal verdict -eminent domain for a water pipeline -a mental health eval for a fender-bender www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/17/c...

We’ve talked about how we in the media normalize (even incentivize) aberrant behavior by public figures who make it their brand. But just imagine if an official in your city or town had told a female reporter asking about a sex abuse scandal, “Quiet, piggy.” Headlines for days.

NEW: Justice Melissa Hart hasn’t participated in the Colorado Supreme Court’s case considerations for the third week in a row. She’s now acknowledged “family and personal health” reasons, but it’s unclear what’s going on and whether cases are being affected: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/17/j...

A Denver police officer deleted his body cam video of a vehicle search, apparently not realizing it might be important to the owner's later criminal prosecution. A trial judge sanctioned the DA's office, but the Court of Appeals disagreed with her punishment: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/14/a...

Here’s a story for every national news outlet: In N.C., churchgoers are literally running into the woods as federal agents descend on the property. “Inside the church, women and children sobbed as they wondered whether their loved ones had been taken.” www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politic...

Judge Ted Tow will be the next chief judge of Colorado's Court of Appeals, beginning next summer. Fun fact: In one opinion, he chewed out an attorney who characterized female opposing counsel as "hysterical": www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/13/t...

After hearing that the rules were actually stymieing legal representation and being used as a weapon by attorneys, the Colorado Supreme Court has loosened the restraints on what licensed legal paraprofessionals can do to represent domestic relations clients: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/12/c...

The Colorado Supreme Court has adopted new rules governing magistrates, which one appellate judge called a "labyrinth" years ago. The big change was a standardization for how magistrate orders are appealed. Now, all appeals will first go to a district judge: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/12/c...

Colorado’s Court of Appeals has ruled that because STEM School Highlands Ranch was willing to pay the maximum damages under the law, the lawsuit by Kendrick Castillo‘s parents over his 2019 shooting death was moot: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/13/a...

NEW: Justice Melissa Hart is on an unexplained leave of absence from the Colorado Supreme Court. She hasn't participated in cert grants/denials or rule change orders in two weeks, and one opinion was issued without her on Monday. There is no end date: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/12/j...

The Colorado Supreme Court suspended its rules governing welfare cases with American Indian children last week, after the legislature passed substantial changes to Colorado's Indian Child Welfare Act that overruled multiple past Supreme Court decisions: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/11/c...

By 2-1, the 10th Circuit lifted an injunction that blocked Colorado from enforcing its cap on interest rates against out-of-state banks that lend to Coloradans. What are the implications? It's unclear--and there might be other legal authority preventing this: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/11/d...

One Colorado Court of Appeals judge has suggested that reviewing courts have more freedom to evaluate a trial judge's decision about less drastic alternatives to terminating a parent's legal rights over their children: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/11/a...

“I’m scared for my parents to walk out there, to walk out of their house, because I might not be able to say goodbye to them if they go to work. I might not ever be able to say bye or see them again,” Chavez told the council, his voice breaking. www.oregonlive.com/news/2025/11...

The Colorado Supreme Court's Civil Rules Committee advanced a proposal that would make it easier for tenants to learn about and respond to their landlord's eviction complaint. However, the vote was a close 12-8, as some members worried about overreach: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/09/c...

NEW: An El Paso County judge removed a prosecutor from a murder case because he told the victim's family he hoped the defendant would stab public defenders if released from custody. By 5-1, the Colorado Supreme Court today said he could remain on the case: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/10/c...

A Fremont County judge reduced the severity of a felony charge because the DA's office didn't disclose police reports to the defense -- reports that, in reality, didn't exist. The Court of Appeals reinstated the more severe charge: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/07/a...

The Court of Appeals ruled Colorado law doesn't recognize a civil claim that a defendant's behavior required the plaintiff to spend money monitoring their risk of health problems from toxic chemical exposure: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/07/a...

BREAKING: Mark Wolf, appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan, writes that he is resigning as a judge to have the freedom to speak out against the president's assault on the rule of law. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

One judge on the 10th Circuit defended his previous precedent-setting decision about how probation violators are to be re-sentenced. There appears to be some discontent with his reasoning on the court, and a Colorado defendant is asking for full-court review: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/06/1...

A federal judge has blocked a portion of Colorado's 2024 law requiring certain social media platforms to notify child users about the data-based effects of social media use. Advocates slammed the decision, saying less-sweeping alternatives wouldn't work: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/07/f...

On this AM’s earnings call, private prison company Geo Group’s chairman says Geo expects ICE to add 40,000 more detention beds (to its roughly 60,000 present number). He says slower recent expansion due to Kristi Noem’s tight grip on contracting; the government shutdown; and ICE recruitment efforts.

The 10th Circuit agreed that lawyers may receive attorney fees for successfully representing detained noncitizens bringing habeas cases. The ruling incentivizes lawyers to represent detainees who are unlawfully detained: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/05/1...

A Denver police officer isn't immune from a negligence lawsuit for running a red light with no lights/siren and hitting a scooter rider, the Court of Appeals ruled: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/05/a...

Somewhat ironic… courthousenews.com/supreme-cour...

NEW: Colorado officials are seeking removal of San Miguel County Judge Sean Murphy. He allegedly fails to issue rulings for years and ignored the discipline commission. Also, there were bizarre incidents, like a half-naked man behind him at a virtual hearing: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/05/s...

Terror at a Chicago daycare facility: "The agents had followed the woman as she parked and chased her inside the daycare and preschool." “It’s some of the most chilling video footage I have ever seen" said one local elected official. blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/05/d...

Denver police detained a group of Black folks because 1.) one of them allegedly looked like a suspected shooter (not even close) and 2.) they parked on the same street as the shooter's vehicle 12 hours later. The 10th Circuit found no reasonable suspicion: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/04/1...

A trial judge believed a suburban sanitation district's lawyer had no First Amendment protection for her statements about board members' malfeasance because she gained the knowledge from her official duties. The 10th Circuit reversed, finding 1A protection: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/04/1...

I think this is the first time I've seen a trademark notation in a court transcript.

A lawyer mistakenly inserted flawed case citations into a filing. She maintained it was a result of sloppiness, not AI or malicious intent. A federal judge in Colorado called her into court to interrogate her over what happened. It was brutal: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/04/h...

Judge Karl Schock of Colorado's Court of Appeals asked the Supreme Court to clarify its vision for how convicted defendants are supposed to request their seized property back. The way it works now, he said, is kind of inequitable: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/03/a...

A Denver judge closed jury selection to the public all day for reasons that weren't clear. Even though he provided a livestream, the Court of Appeals found that wasn't enough under Colorado Supreme Court precedent. They ordered a new murder trial: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/03/a...

A Denver judge allowed a defendant to represent himself without a full conversation about what the man understood about his case and his responsibilities (very little). The Court of Appeals ordered a new trial: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/03/a...

“Bovino testified that he has instructed his officers to arrest protesters who make hyperbolic comments in the heat of political demonstrations…even though such statements—which do not constitute true threats—are protected speech.”

Federal and state judges in Colorado spoke recently about the public's knowledge of/trust in the judiciary. “I do not think we’re in a judicial crisis. I think that we’re part of the normal ebb and flow of disagreement," said 10th Circuit Judge Tim Tymkovich: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/10/31/i...

Two Colorado justices and 3 appeals judges spoke last week about how to respond to political attacks on their work. “I don’t think we should respond. Entering into political discourse is not our job,” said Judge Jaclyn Casey Brown. "We stay the course": www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/10/31/c...

The Colorado Supreme Court appeared hesitant to label lifetime sex offender registration "punishment," despite its consequences for a person's liberty and privacy. However, they were receptive to seeing it as disproportionate for one specific defendant: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/10/30/c...

Spotted a real National Guard patrol in Dupont Circle (left) this morning … then an individual in ill-fitting fatigues and gear (right) shortly thereafter. Is this an actual guardsman? Did not appear to be a Halloween costume. It’s increasingly difficult to tell who’s legit, which seems dangerous.

So #copolitics Gov. Polis will only meet with Joint Budget Committee if the media (and the public!) are excluded? good reporting from @mgoodland.bsky.social cc: @coloradofoic.bsky.social

A federal judge seems to have decided ICE is violating the law with its warrantless arrests in Colorado after two days of hearing evidence. But he still has to determine if the plaintiffs have standing and if he has authority to issue a statewide injunction: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/10/31/f...

It’s Day 2 of the hearing, and Senior Judge Brooke Jackson revealed quite a bit about his thinking in response to an objection from the government. There is “substantial evidence” ICE is making unlawful warrantless arrests, which is “part of a practice and policy” in Colorado, he said.