The last month has brought a flurry of news on the public law front. Here are your highlights:
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New Chief Justice. Habemus summum! With Nancy Rice’s retirement on June 30, Colorado will have a new Chief Justice: Nathan B. Coats, currently the longest-serving Justice on the Court. Governor Hickenlooper will also have the chance to appoint a new Justice this summer—his 5th pick on the 7-member body.
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Lamborn is back on the ballot. Last week, the Colorado Supreme Court kicked US Rep. Doug Lamborn off the primary ballot after concluding that one of his petition circulators didn’t live in Colorado. The Associated Press quotes attorney Chris Jackson in analyzing the Court’s decision. Lamborn quickly filed a new lawsuit in federal court, alleging that the residency requirement violates the First Amendment. On Tuesday, the federal court agreed, ordering him back on the ballot.
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Combatting sexual harassment at state capitols. Attorneys Chris Jackson and Craig Morgan published an article in The Hill discussing four steps state legislatures can take to tackle harassment. The piece comes on the heels of Morgan’s investigation into an Arizona state legislator.
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Judge Booras suspended. The Colorado Supreme Court suspended Judge Laurie A. Booras of the Colorado Court of Appeals pending an investigation by the state’s Commission on Judicial Discipline. The Denver Post reports that a man claiming to be her former lover made multiple allegations against her.