The fight over school funding in Colorado has become one of the state’s most consequential political battlegrounds, a defining issue in elections and governance from the local level all the way up to the governor’s office. But following the debate can be difficult. Lurking behind every fight over teacher pay and four-day school weeks is […]
Colorado Supreme Court
Posted inNews
Colorado Supreme Court updates definition of common-law marriage to include LGBTQ, nontraditional couples
The definition of common-law marriage in Colorado was expanded on Monday by Colorado Supreme Court rulings in three cases dealing with how couples who are not formally married divide assets when one person dies or leaves the relationship. While legal protections for couples and their children have increased significantly in the decades since the Colorado […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Nicolais: A Colorado Supreme Court justice put principle over personal preference in two recent cases
When the Colorado Supreme Court issued twin pre-Christmas rulings denying political subdivisions government immunity from anti-discrimination laws, I really thought I would be writing a column lauding the outcome. I thought I would be cheering the court’s decision to close a loophole through which organizations like Denver Health and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Colorado’s State Court Administrator’s Office lacks “culture of accountability,” audit finds
The administrative arm of Colorado’s judicial branch spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on employee buyouts and paid administrative leave over a four year period, and millions more on no-bid contracts, many without sufficient records or required administrative approvals, a state audit has found. The audit of the State Court Administrator’s Office released Monday examined […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Former Weld County judge who tipped off friend about drug investigation is censured
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday publicly censured a former Weld County District Judge who tipped off his friend that their mutual acquaintance was the target of a federal drug investigation. Ryan Kamada was censured for violating a variety of ethical and professional rules, The Denver Post reported. “Then-Judge Kamada’s pattern of reckless disregard for confidential […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Maria Berkenkotter selected by Gov. Jared Polis as his first Colorado Supreme Court appointee
Gov. Jared Polis on Friday selected Maria Encarnacion Berkenkotter as his first Colorado Supreme Court appointee. “Throughout her career, she has shown a keen ability to render sound and wise decisions on a broad range of issues,” Polis said in a written statement. “She has deftly presided over high-profile, complicated and often emotional cases, and […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Gov. Jared Polis will select one of these three people to serve on the Colorado Supreme Court
The retirement of Nathan B. Coats, the last Republican-appointed judge on the Colorado Supreme Court, has cleared the way for Gov. Jared Polis to make his first pick for the high court. Polis, a Democrat, is expected to announce his choice this week. Former Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed five current justices and former Gov. Bill […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, COVID, Crime and Courts, Education, Energy, Environment, Growth, Health, News, Outdoors, Politics and Government
Seven big takeaways from Cory Gardner and John Hickenlooper’s third — and most fiery — debate
Republican incumbent Cory Gardner and Democrat John Hickenlooper faced off in the third of four U.S. Senate debates on Friday, hours after Colorado elections officials began mailing ballots to voters across the state. The 90-minute faceoff, hosted by Denver7, The Denver Post and Colorado Public Radio, covered many expected topics: health care, immigration, Hickenlooper’s ethics […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Trump picks Amy Coney Barrett for U.S. Supreme Court; Cory Gardner voted to put her on federal bench in 2017
By Zeke Miller, Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Saturday, capping a dramatic reshaping of the federal judiciary that will resonate for a generation and that he hopes will provide a needed boost to his reelection effort. […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Here’s what John Hickenlooper thinks about a U.S. Supreme Court expansion and what makes a good justice
Former Gov. John Hickenlooper says a commitment to upholding civil rights — including abortion protections under Roe v. Wade — is critical for his support of any U.S. Supreme Court nominee. “I’ve never used it as a litmus test,” he added of a judge’s views on abortion, “but I do think most people who are […]