Tag: Justice Melissa Hart
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10th Circuit judge creates vacancy, district court gets new chief judge | COURT CRAWL
Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. A longtime member of the Denver-based federal appeals court will give the president a vacancy to fill, plus Colorado’s federal trial court will see a change in its leadership this week. Colorado Supreme Court update • At some point today, the…
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Susan Blanco new Colorado Supreme Court justice
Chief Judge Susan Blanco of Larimer and Jackson counties is the newest member of the Colorado Supreme Court, Gov. Jared Polis announced on Tuesday. “A few words come to mind: Innovation. Excellence. Creativity. Hard work. These are values we need across society,” said Polis during a news conference announcing Blanco’s appointment. Blanco, 48, became a…
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Who are the 3 finalists for the Colorado Supreme Court?
A citizen-led nominating commission has chosen the finalists for a vacancy on the Colorado Supreme Court, the first opening in five years on the seven-member court. The vacancy arose after the unexpected resignation of Justice Melissa Hart, who formally departed on Jan. 5 following an extended “leave of absence” since the fall. The three finalists…
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State Supreme Court holds oral arguments, 10th Circuit revives dormant initiative | COURT CRAWL
Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. The state Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in multiple civil and criminal cases, plus the Denver-based federal appeals court is doing something unusual for its own round of arguments this week. At the Supreme Court • In a rare…
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Justice Melissa Hart to step down from Colorado Supreme Court
Justice Melissa Hart will step down from the Colorado Supreme Court effective Jan. 5, the Judicial Department announced unexpectedly on Friday. Hart has been on an unexplained and unusual leave of absence from the court since Oct. 28. She told Colorado Politics in November that the leave was for “family and personal health reasons” but provided no…
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Colorado justices splinter over approach to sentencing review
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court were divided on Monday about whether vehicular homicide stemming from intoxicated driving is “grave and serious” in every possible scenario, with two justices suggesting the court reconfigure its approach for determining the proportionality of criminal sentences. The Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment means sentences cannot be…
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Colorado Supreme Court’s opinion output drops by two-thirds amid justice’s absence
The Colorado Supreme Court has released significantly fewer new opinions in recent months compared to the previous two years, even as the judicial branch insisted that a member’s open-ended absence is not causing delays. Justice Melissa Hart has been on an unusual leave of absence since Oct. 28, although she also was gone for the…
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Colorado Supreme Court to examine whether corporations can be liable for ‘felonious killing’
The Colorado Supreme Court recently announced that it will determine whether corporations can be liable for a “felonious killing,” meaning there is no limit to the damages they might pay for pain and suffering after causing a wrongful death. At least three of the court’s seven members must agree to take a case on appeal.…
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Justice Melissa Hart missing for third week as judiciary defends Colorado Supreme Court’s functioning
Justice Melissa Hart missed a third straight week of case considerations as of Monday, with the Colorado Supreme Court indicating she again did not participate in the court’s weekly decision-making about whether to accept or reject pending appeals. The Colorado Judicial Department told Colorado Politics last week that Hart has been on a leave of…
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Colorado justices deliver favorable ruling for organizations raising open meetings violations
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that organizations are entitled to the same recovery of their costs as individuals when they successfully pursue a public entity’s violation of the state’s open meetings law. The Colorado Open Meetings Law permits “any person” to challenge a violation of the law. At the same time, it grants…