Colorado

Why do 80% of judgments remain uncollected?

In the 1960s and '70s, as a detective sergeant in the Houston Police Department, I had to augment my income by working extra jobs off duty.

Apr 2, 2020 1:55 PM CDT

Lawyer who used gay slur to refer to judge should get stayed suspension, opinion says

A Colorado lawyer should receive a stayed suspension for referring to a judge as a "gay, fat, f- -" in an email to two clients, according to an opinion by the judge appointed to preside in discipline matters.

Mar 30, 2020 3:36 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Reform group backs cost metric in law school rankings; California suspends jury trials

US News’ ranking methodology is the cheese for law school rat race, report says The U.S. News & World Report’s annual law school rankings rely on categories including law school expenditures per student, peer assessment and selectivity in admissions. The valuation should include an “efficiency metric” that encourages getting as…

Mar 24, 2020 4:45 PM CDT

District attorney faces indictment over drug possession and misconduct

A district attorney in northeastern Colorado has been indicted by a grand jury on three counts of controlled substance possession and conspiracy and one count of official misconduct.

Mar 3, 2020 9:22 AM CST

This state appears likely to abolish the death penalty after Senate vote

The Colorado Senate on Friday passed a bill to repeal the death penalty, sending the measure to the House where it is expected to win approval.

Feb 4, 2020 10:31 AM CST

SCOTUS adds cases on wayward presidential electors, contraceptive coverage exemptions

The U.S. Supreme Court added two high-profile cases on Friday to its docket concerning faithless presidential electors and expanded exemptions to mandated contraceptive coverage.

Jan 17, 2020 4:17 PM CST

‘Gate money’ for released prisoners is usually chump change

Some formerly incarcerated people say it’s often not enough to meet their basic needs

Sep 11, 2019 2:49 PM CDT

Former BigLaw partner dies on Mount Everest; he was member of ‘seven summit club,’ brother says

A Colorado lawyer who was a former partner at Holland & Hart died Monday while descending the summit of Mount Everest. Solo practitioner Christopher Kulish, 62, is the 11th person to die while climbing Mount Everest this year, report the American Lawyer, USA Today, the Washington Post and the Denver…

May 29, 2019 7:30 AM CDT

Number of prisoners hits 9-year low, but some states are resisting the trend

The number of people in U.S. prisons fell to a nine-year low of just under 1.5 million last year, a 1.3 percent decrease, according to a report released recently by the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice.

Apr 26, 2019 2:36 PM CDT

Top state court judge leaves bench to lead legal services think tank

Following 14 years on the Arizona Supreme Court, Chief Justice Scott Bales will be stepping down at the end of July. In September, he will take over leadership of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, an independent research center located at the University of Denver.

Apr 9, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Appeals court overturns civil penalty against foreclosure law firm

The Colorado Court of Appeals has overturned a $119,500 civil penalty imposed against a foreclosure law firm accused of violating consumer fraud laws by failing to disclose an ownership interest in a side business.

Apr 5, 2019 2:20 PM CDT

Do frozen embryo rulings have implications in abortion debate? Supreme Court asked to weigh in

Two rulings about the fate of frozen embryos are raising questions over the rights of egg and sperm donors, the interpretation of unclear contracts and implications in the abortion debate. The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to consider one of the cases.

Apr 3, 2019 1:15 PM CDT

NYC judges have drastically cut back on bail and jail in criminal cases, study says

Like many states, New York has a bail law that is half a century old. The legal rules that in 2010 made it possible for 16-year-old Kalief Browder to be jailed on Rikers Island for three years for allegedly stealing a backpack—just because his family couldn’t pay $3,000 in bail to get him out—all remain on the books.

Mar 18, 2019 7:05 AM CDT

Judge’s demeaning email epithets weren’t protected by First Amendment, says top state court

A former Colorado appeals court judge wasn’t protected by the First Amendment when she used inappropriate racial epithets and revealed case information in emails to her former lover, the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled. In a March 11 decision, the court said the appropriate sanction for Judge Laurie Booras was…

Mar 12, 2019 12:07 PM CDT

Some workplace humor can backfire for women, study finds

Women who use humor in some work-related situations may be perceived as disruptive or distracting, according to a study by researchers at the University of Arizona and University of Colorado at Boulder. The study asked more than 200 people to react to male and female retail store managers giving presentations…

Mar 4, 2019 10:38 AM CST