May 19, 2013

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Governor Hickenlooper Appoints New Members to Two More Judicial Nominating Commissions

July 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, July 3, 2012, Governor John Hickenlooper announced several Board and Commission appointments, including appointments to the Thirteenth and Seventeenth Judicial District Judicial Nominating Commissions.

Colorado’s twenty-two judicial districts have judicial district nominating commissions that select nominees for district and county judicial vacancies. Each district nominating commission is chaired by a justice of the Supreme Court, who is a non-voting member of the commission.

Commission members serve six-year terms. Non-lawyers, who are the majority of every nominating commission, are appointed by the governor. Lawyer members are appointed by joint action of the governor, attorney general, and chief justice.

The member appointed to the Thirteenth Judicial District Judicial Nominating Commission for a term expiring December 31, 2017, is:

  • Jerold A. Brandt of Holyoke, to serve as a non-attorney and as a Republican from Phillips County.

The member appointed to the Seventeenth Judicial District Judicial Nominating Commission for a term expiring December 31, 2015, is:

  • Angelo C. Chavez of Broomfield, to serve as a non attorney and as a Republican from Broomfield County.
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2011 Judicial Branch Awards Received by 1st, 7th, 8th, 16th, 17th, and 18th Judicial Districts

June 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Several Judicial Branch Awards for 2011 were announced on Monday, June 11, 2012:

  • The 2011 Colorado Judicial Branch Team of the Year award went to the Eighth Judicial District Juvenile Probation Unit;
  • The 2011 Colorado Judicial Branch Manager of the Year award went to David Book, a probation supervisor in La Junta in the Sixteenth Judicial District;
  • The 2011 Colorado Judicial Branch Court Employee of the Year award went to Jenni Turnidge, managing court interpreter for the Eighteenth Judicial District;
  • The 2011 Colorado Judicial Branch State Court Administrator’s Office Employee of the Year award went to Emy López;
  • The 2011 Colorado Judicial Branch Judicial Officer of the Year award went to the Honorable Sandra K. Miller, Delta County Court Judge; and
  • The 2011 Colorado Judicial Branch Probation Employee of the Year award went to Judy Sanger, a probation officer who works with juveniles in the First Judicial District.

The Colorado Judicial Branch annually recognizes a handful of outstanding employees for exemplary work contributing to the high quality of service provided throughout the state’s twenty-two judicial districts.

Nominating the Juvenile Probation team were numerous professionals involved in juvenile justice and rehabilitation throughout the Eighth Judicial District, which serves Jackson and Larimer counties.

Members of the Eighth Judicial District Probation Team are Francesca Arruzza-Obrien, Lori Bragg, Denise Cosgrove, Moriah Eisert, Courtney Gailey, Paula Gates, Tom Harbaugh, Tonya Hertz, Lawrence Hollier, Dirk Kettlekamp, Jessica Link, Mandi Lozano, Scott Newbold, Trevor Quinlivan, Tracy Stromberg, Dixie Vogel, Gordon Walker, and Carol Wright.

Book was nominated for the award by Sixteenth Judicial District Chief Probation Officer Tobin Wright, Chief Judge Jon Kolomitz, other members of the probation department, and Joseph Carrica III, assistant executive director for the Southeast Behavioral Health Group.

Turnidge was nominated for the award by twenty-two district and county court judges and magistrates serving the Eighteenth Judicial District. The judicial officers nominated Turnidge because she exemplifies the dedication and devotion to the Judicial Branch to which all Judicial employees should aspire.

López was nominated for the award by Colleen Kent, managing court interpreter for the Seventeenth Judicial District.

Judge Miller was nominated for the award by Pamela Bliss, volunteer coordinator with Meth Free Delta County, and Seventh Judicial District Probation Officer Juan P. Gallegos.

Sanger was nominated for the award by several judges, a prosecutor, and others involved with the Jefferson County Mental Health Court, where she was the first supervising probation officer.

The Colorado Judicial Branch includes the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, as well as the state’s district and county trial courts.  The branch is also home to the Department of Probation Services, which employs more than 1,100 people including approximately 900 probation supervisors and officers.  The department’s officers are responsible for supervising more than 6,000 juvenile offenders and more than 54,000 adult offenders.

As of July 1, 2011, the Colorado Judicial Branch employed approximately 3,400 employees, which includes 374 justices, judges, and magistrates. In fiscal year 2011, the latest for which full statistics are available, there were 505,265 cases filed statewide at the County Court level, 246, 728 filed in District Court, 2,742 in the Court of Appeals and 1,387 in the Supreme Court.  There were an additional 956 cases filed in the Water Courts.

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Fourth Annual Sean May Memorial Run/Walk Set for May 12

April 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Sean May

The Fourth Annual Sean May Memorial Run/Walk will be held on May 12, 2012 at Barr Lake State Park. The run was created to honor May, a chief deputy district attorney with the Seventeenth Judicial District Attorney’s Office who was shot to death in his backyard when he was returning home from work.

During his seven years of service in Adams County, May volunteered for the Child Victim Unit, where he pursued justice for children who had been physically and/or sexually abused. At the time of his death, he was responsible for training and supervising new prosecutors.

May always stressed the importance of acting responsibly, including treating victims, the community, defendants and the courts with dignity and respect. Proceeds from the race will benefit Access to Justice programs and activities and May’s family.

The Self-Help Resource Center at the Adams County Justice Center was made possible in part by the proceeds from this event. The center provides computers, information and staff to help people with legal procedural questions. Since opening on January 5, 2011, it has served more than 3,000 people.

The race is organized by the Seventeenth J.D. Access to Justice Committee, the Adams/Broomfield Bar Association and the Colorado Bar Association. The race will be professionally timed by Hallucination Sports. To register or fundraise for the race, visit seanmaymemorialrun.org; a list of sponsors and sponsorship information is also available there. If you’re interested in sponsoring the race, please contact Loren Brown at lorenbrown@colo-law.com or Mariana Vielma or mvielma@da17.state.co.us.

Last year approximately 300 people participated in the race, and the event raised nearly $10,000. Please help us spread the word and consider creating a team with colleagues!

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Colorado Courts Celebrate National Adoption Day

November 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

National Adoption Day will be celebrated in many of Colorado’s Judicial Districts between Thursday, November 17 and Monday, November 21, 2011, with judges and magistrates throughout Colorado finalizing the adoption of more than 100 foster children into permanent families. Colorado is currently home to 365 children waiting for permanent families.

“Adoption Day is always a special day in Colorado’s courts,” said Chief Justice Michael L. Bender. “I am pleased to see many of our courts taking the opportunity to recognize National Adoption Day on a local level. However, this is but one day out of the year and we must remain focused on the fact that there are still many children in need of good homes.”

Adoption Day events in Colorado are being coordinated through the courts, state and local human services departments, as well as other local and state child agencies and advocacy groups.

Here’s a rundown of Adoption Day activities going on around Colorado:

  • First Judicial District (Jefferson and Gilpin counties)
  • Saturday, November 19, 2011, from 9:00 to 11:00 am at the Jefferson County Combined Court (100 Jefferson Parkway, Golden, CO 80401).
  • District Court Judges Margie Enquist, Tamara Russell and Ann Meinster will finalize 18 adoptions for 12 families.  Colorado Supreme Court Justice-designate Brian Boatright (currently a First Judicial District Court Judge) will be in attendance. For more information contact Kris Kinzli at (303) 271-4601 or Mallory Hyatt at (303) 271-4389 with Jefferson County Human Services.
  • Second Judicial District (Denver County)
  • Friday, November 18, 2011, from 8:45 am to noon at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse (520 W. Colfax, Denver, CO 80204).
  • Denver Juvenile Court Judges Donna Schmalberger and D. Brett Woods will join Juvenile Magistrates Howard Bartlett and Melanie Gilbert, along with Denver District Court Judges Morris Hoffman and Herbert Stern to unite 51 children with 33 families. For more information contact Barbara Bosley, Family Court Facilitator, Denver Juvenile Court, (720) 337-0584.  This is the seventh annual celebration of National Adoption Day in Denver.
  • Speakers at the event will include Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Chief Judge Karen Ashby (Denver Juvenile Court), Penny May (Denver Department of Human Services), and Marne Gulley (adoptive parent).
  • Speakers will make their remarks in the Cisneros Jury Assembly Room.  Adoption proceedings will take place from 10:00 am to noon in courtrooms 2A, 2B, 2C, 2E, 2F and 2H. Judge Ashby has entered an order allowing Expanded Media Coverage; cameras are welcome.
  • Third Judicial District (Huerfano and Las Animas counties)
  • While no adoption proceedings are scheduled, District Court Judge Leslie Gerbracht reports that the Court will host a reception on Monday, November 21, 2011, at 2:30 pm for families who have adopted in the past. The reception will be held in the District Court Courtroom at the Las Animas County Courthouse (200 E. 1st St., Trinidad, CO 81082). For more information contact Arlene Lopez, DHS Child Protection Unit Supervisor, at (719) 846-2276.
  • Fifth Judicial District (Clear Creek, Eagle, Lake and Summit counties)
  • On Friday, November 18, 2011, from 1:30 to 4:30 pm, District Court Judge Russell Granger will preside over the adoption of five children into four families. The proceedings will take place at the Clear Creek County Courthouse (405 Argentine, Georgetown, CO 80444). For more information contact Kimberlee Hill, Clerk of Court, at (303) 679-4220.
  • Tenth Judicial District (Pueblo County)
  • On Friday, November 18, 2011, beginning at 9:30 am in Division B, District Court Judge Larry Schwartz will preside over the adoption docket. Nine children are slated to be adopted into seven families. For more information contact Karen Hiraki, Pueblo Department of Human Services, at (719) 583-4716.
  • Eleventh Judicial District (Chaffee, Custer, Fremont and Park counties)
  • On Thursday, November 17, 2011, Chief District Court Judge Charles Barton will finalize the adoptions of five children into four families. The adoption proceedings will begin at 1:30 pm at the Fremont County Justice Center (136 Justice Center Road, Canon City, CO 81212). For more information contact Nancy Myers, Fremont County DHS, at (719) 269-2092.
  • Seventeenth Judicial District (Adams and Broomfield counties)
  • On Saturday, November 19, 2011, from 9 am to noon, 23 children will be united with permanent families. The proceedings will take place at the Adams County Justice Center (1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601). District Court Judges Mark Warner and Francis Wasserman will join Magistrates Greg Beacom and Peter Stapp in presiding over the docket. For more information contact Jennifer Mendoza, Juvenile Court Programs Coordinator, at (303) 654-3230.
  • Nineteenth Judicial District (Weld County)
  • On Friday, November 18, 2011, from 1 to 5 pm, District Court Judge Marcelo Kopcow will preside over 11 adoptions and Magistrate Randall Lococo will preside over one adoption. Adoption proceedings will take place at the Weld County Courthouse (901 9th Ave. Greeley, CO 80631). For more information call Judge Kopcow’s chambers at (970) 351-7300 ext. 5490.
  • Twenty-first Judicial District (Mesa County)
  • On Friday, November 18, 2011, from 8 am to 1:30 pm, District Court Judge Valerie Robison will preside over an adoption docket bringing together eight children with seven families.  The adoptions will take place at the Mesa County Justice Center (125 N. Spruce Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501). For more information contact Karen Martsolf, Mesa County DHS, at (970) 256-2453.

National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the 107,000 children in foster care across the country waiting to find permanent, loving families. Since its inception, National Adoption Day has made the dreams of thousands of children come true through the cooperative work of courts, judges, attorneys, adoption professionals, child welfare agencies, and advocates to finalize adoptions and find permanent, loving homes for children in foster care.

National Adoption Day is celebrated every year in November. In 2006, for the first time, National Adoption Day was celebrated in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. That year, more than 250 events were held throughout the country to finalize the adoptions of more than 3,300 children in foster care, and to celebrate all families who adopt. Since 2000, more than 35,000 children have had their adoptions finalized on National Adoption Day.

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[UPDATED] Piloting Change: A Brief Overview of the Colorado Civil Access Pilot Project Rules

November 17, 2011 by 1 Comment

Editor’s Note: CBA-CLE will be holding a program next month highlighting the Civil Access Pilot Project, which will help practitioners understand the practical information they need to know once the rules go into effect. The rules have been changed significantly, and failing to navigate them correctly can be detrimental to clients and cases. Registration information is provided below.

By Jessica L. Fuller and Tamara F. Goodlette

In Chief Justice Directive 11-02, the Colorado Supreme Court approved a new set of civil procedure rules known as the Colorado Civil Access Pilot Project. The goals of the Pilot Project are to increase access to the courts and reduce the expense of civil litigation by identifying and narrowing disputed issues at the earliest stage of litigation; requiring ongoing active case management by a single judge; and keeping litigation costs proportionate to the issues being litigated through controlled discovery and other means.

The Pilot Project makes significant changes to the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure for certain types of business cases in specified judicial districts, which will dramatically affect the way civil cases are litigated. Below is a brief overview of the highlights of the Pilot Project Rules (PPRs).

Not all of the PPRs are addressed below and they may continue to be amended through 2011. To review the full set of the most recent version of the PPRs, visit www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/Supreme_Court/Directives and click on Chief Justice Directive 11-02, “Civil Litigation in Business Actions.”[1]

Introduction to the Pilot Project

When do the PPRs take effect?

  • The PPRs are effective Jan. 1 for certain types of cases filed on or after that date, and will be in effect for applicable cases filed in the next two years.

What happens at the conclusion of the two years?

  • During the two-year period when the PPRs are in effect, IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver, will collect data to measure the effects of the procedural changes. The study results will be used to determine whether to make future amendments to the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure.

Where do the Pilot Project Rules apply?

  • For designated cases in the First Judicial District (Jefferson and Gilpin counties), Second Judicial District (Denver County), Seventeenth Judicial District (Adams County), and the Eighteenth Judicial District (Arapahoe County).

What kinds of cases are governed by the PPRs?

  • “Inclusion in the pilot project will be determined based on the contents of the complaint at the commencement of the action,” according to PPR 1.1.
  • The PPRs will apply to cases that are predominately “business actions” as defined in Amended Appendix A of CJD 11-02. Amended Appendix A lists various types of “included actions” and “excluded actions.” Litigators in the specified judicial districts should refer to Amended Appendix A to determine whether a case is subject to the PPRs.

Do the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure still apply?

  • Yes. The PPRs are not a complete set of rules and the C.R.C.P. will continue to govern, except where there is an inconsistency, in which case the PPRs will control. (See PPR 1.2.)

Are the PPRs optional?

  • No. In fact, the court may impose sanctions for any failure to timely or completely comply with the PPRs. (See PPR 11.1.)
Overview of Central Provisions of the Pilot Project Rules

Proportionality is the Buzz Word

  • All aspects of the case shall be addressed by the court and the parties to assure the process and costs are proportionate to the needs of the case. The proportionality factors include the “amount in controversy, and complexity and importance of the issues at stake in the litigation. …This proportionality rule shall shape the process of the case in order to achieve a just, timely, efficient, and cost effective determination of all actions.” (See PPR 1.3.)

Notice Pleading Plus

  • “The party that bears the burden of proof with respect to any claim or affirmative defense should plead all material facts that are known to that party,” including “any known monetary damages.” (See PPR 2.2.)
  • General denials of any statement of fact are not permitted. (See PPR 2.3.)

Defendants Must Answer, and Motions to Dismiss Do Not Stay the Case

  • Even if you elect to file a motion to dismiss, you also must file an answer. (See PPR 4.1.)
  • Unless otherwise prohibited by statute, the filing of a motion to dismiss will not delay any pleading, disclosure, or case management deadlines. (Id.)

After You Plead, Get Ready to Disclose

  • No later than 21 days after service of a pleading making a claim for relief or defending against a claim for relief, the pleading party must file its initial disclosures with the court. (See PPR 3.1, 3.3.)

Meet, Confer, and Preserve

  • Within 14 days after the filing of an answer, the parties must meet and confer regarding the “reasonable preservation of all relevant documents and things, including any electronically stored information.” (See PPR 6.1.)

Do Not Expect Extensions or Continuances

  • Motions for extensions of time or continuances (including motions to change the trial date) are strongly disfavored and will be denied on receipt, absent extraordinary circumstances. (See PPR 1.4, 8.5.)
  • Stipulated motions to continue or extend deadlines are not binding on the court and parties should assume the court will deny such motions. (See PPR 1.4.)

Do Expect Active Case Management

  • One judge will be assigned to the case for all purposes, and “absent unavoidable or extraordinary circumstances,” that judge will remain assigned to the case through its final resolution. (See PPR 5.1.)
  • No later than 49 days after the responsive pleadings are filed, the judge shall hold an initial case management conference, which each party’s lead trial counsel is required to attend. (See PPR 7.1.)
  • The court will provide ongoing, active case management, and the parties may contact the court for prompt conferences to clarify or modify any court order or resolve any disputed pretrial matter. (See PPR 8.1, 8.2.)

Factual and Expert Discovery Will Be Limited

  • Discovery will be limited, based on the proportionality factors and “matters that would enable a party to prove or disprove a claim or defense or to impeach a witness.” (See PPR 9.1.)
  • Absent extraordinary circumstances, only one expert witness per side may submit a report and testify in any given specialty or with respect to any given issue. (See PPR 10.2.)
  • An expert’s testimony will be limited to matters disclosed in reasonable detail in the report. (See PPR 10.1(b).)
  • Along with the expert’s report, a party also must produce its expert’s files at the time the witness is disclosed. (See PPR 10.1(a), (c), App. C (defining scope of production and noting parties do not have to produce their expert’s draft reports).)
  • There will be no depositions or other discovery of experts. (See PPR 10.1(d).)

Key Deadlines

  • Twenty-one days after service of the complaint, plaintiff files initial disclosures. (See PPR 3.1.)
  • Twenty-one days after plaintiff’s initial disclosures are filed, defendant files a responsive pleading, which must include an answer. (See PPR 3.2, 4.1.)
  • Fourteen days after defendant’s responsive pleading is filed, the parties meet and confer regarding preservation of documents and electronically stored information. (See PPR 6.1.)
  • Twenty-one days after service of defendant’s responsive pleading, defendant files initial disclosures. (See PPR 3.3.)
  • Seven days before the case management conference, parties file a joint case management report in the form set forth in Appendix B of CJD 11.2. (See PPR 7.1, App. B.)
  • No later than 49 days after defendant’s responsive pleading is filed, the case management conference is held, and lead counsel must attend. (See PPR 7.1.)

Generally, within 91 days of service of the complaint, the answer, any motions to dismiss, all disclosures, and the joint case management report will be filed and the case management conference will have occurred.

The PPRs are an attempt to improve the management of the civil litigation process and increase access to our judicial system by controlling the discovery process and lessening the expense of litigation. We urge litigators in the Denver area to support the Pilot Project and share their feedback during the two-year pilot period with IAALS.

Notes

[1] The PPRs are not to be confused with the amendments to the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure for calculating trial and appellate deadlines that will apply in all cases in all judicial districts in the state. Most of these deadline amendments become effective Jan. 1, and others become effective July 1. Go to http://bit.ly/CPRCChanges for a copy of the amended rules.

Jessica Fuller and Tamara Goodlette are litigation associates at Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP and can be reached at (303) 623-9000 or jfuller@rothgerber.com and tgoodlette@rothgerber.com.

The Docket eFile brings features from your favorite Denver Bar Association publication to you digitally. When you see the logo, you’re reading an article from The Docket. You’ll also still be able to read the full issue online at denbar.org/docket.

CLE Program: The Civil Access Pilot Project – New Rules of Civil Procedure for Cases in 5 Districts

This CLE presentation will take place on Friday, December 2. Participants may attend live in our classroom or watch the live webcast.

If you can’t make the live programs or webcasts, the programs will also be available as a homestudy in three formats: video on-demand, mp3 download, and audio CD recordings.
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Colorado Civil Access Pilot Project: Changes to Included/Excluded Actions

October 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The Colorado Supreme Court has amended the Chief Justice Directive that outlines the implementation of the Civil Access Pilot Project. As of October 2011, an amended Appendix A has been included in CJD 11-02. The Appendix describes the types of cases that will be included in the program, and those that will be excluded.

The revised Chief Justice Directive with the updated list of included and excluded actions can be found here.

The Civil Access Pilot Project is an attempt by State Judicial to revamp the discovery process and reduce the expense of civil litigation in certain business actions. The Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure concerning pleading, discovery, and trial management have been modified for the cases falling within the realm of the project.

The pilot project is scheduled to last two years, unless extended by the Court.

CJD 11-02 – “Adopting Pilot Rules for Certain District Court Civil Cases”

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Seventeenth Judicial District Celebrates Launch of Drug Court in Adams County Tomorrow

September 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Colorado State Judicial has announced that the Seventeenth Judicial District will officially launch a drug court in the Adams County Court with a kick-off celebration tomorrow, Wednesday, September 28, 2011 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. The event will be held in the jury assembly room at the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton (1100 Judicial Center Drive).  Members of the public are invited to attend in anticipation of the first docket for the new drug court being called next week on October 6, in division 8.

“This type of problem solving court has proven effective in both saving money for the taxpayers and bringing about positive change and accountability to the individuals that have drug dependency,” said Adams County Court Judge Leroy Kirby, who will preside over the drug court.  “This has truly been a team effort with all the essential agencies involved and would not be successful without them.  The Seventeenth Judicial District now joins numerous other adult drug treatment courts throughout the State of Colorado in offering a problem solving solution.”

Problem-solving courts have been shown to be an effective means of reducing substance abuse and increasing the likelihood that people will remain in recovery and reintegrate into their communities as productive and contributing members, with fewer instances of relapse or recurrence of criminal behavior than traditional court proceedings.

“Drug courts change lives by reducing the number of people committing future crimes,” said Seventeenth Judicial District Attorney Don Quick.  “These proven, cost-saving programs for non-violent offenders benefit not only the abusers, but also their families and the community.”

The Adams County Drug Court is committed to an integrated and collaborative effort of treatment, accountability, and rehabilitation of drug dependent offenders.  The program is designed to ensure community safety and create healthy individuals and families while reducing costs and recidivism.

The Adams County Drug Court is one of more than sixty problem-solving courts operating in seventeen of Colorado’s twenty-two judicial districts. Colorado’s problem-solving courts include adult and juvenile drug courts, family/dependency and neglect drug courts, DUI courts, adult and juvenile mental health courts, veteran trauma courts, and truancy courts.

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Pilot Rules for Certain District Court Civil Cases Adopted by Colorado Supreme Court

July 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Following the Colorado Supreme Court’s approval of the Civil Access Pilot Project, the Court has issued a new Chief Justice Directive to implement the rules outlined by the project. These revised rules are an attempt by the Court to study if the control of the discovery process reduces the expense of civil litigation in certain business actions.

In order for the project to be implemented successfully, the Court has determined that the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure concerning the pleading, discovery, and trial management of certain cases must be modified.

All of the new rules are outlined in CJD 11-02.

The rules contained therein are effective January 1, 2012 and will be applicable to cases filed on or after that date. The rules are adopted for use in the designated cases in the First, Second, Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Twentieth Judicial Districts.

The pilot project is scheduled to last two years and apply to all applicable cases filed in the pilot districts up to December 31, 2013 or until further order of the court.

The effect of the pilot project will be studied by the Institute for the Advancement of the
American Legal System (IAALS), working at the request of the Court. IAALS will issue a report
on the effect of the project upon the conclusion of the two year period.

CJD 11-02 – “Adopting Pilot Rules for Certain District Court Civil Cases”

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Seventeenth Judicial District Providing Interpreter Services for All Case Types Beginning in July

June 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Effective July 1, 2011, Interpreter Services will be provided for all case types in the Seventeenth Judicial District.

For more information, contact Colleen Kent at (303) 654-3377 or via email.

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Don Quick on Sean May and the Memorial Run Created in May’s Honor

March 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The Docket eFile is a new way to bring your favorite Denver Bar Association publication to you digitally. When you see the logo, you’re reading an article from The Docket, but here we hope to offer some extras so you can read, link, and interact with these stories. You’ll also still be able to read the full issue online at denbar.org/docket.

Don Quick

Don Quick has served as the District Attorney for Adams and Broomfield counties since 2005. On August 28, 2008, Quick was sitting down to celebrate his birthday with a slice of cake when he received a phone call from Denver Police. That was when he found out that one of his chief deputy district attorneys, Sean May, had been shot to death in his backyard, coming home from work.

May’s murder remains unsolved. May 14 will mark the third year that attorneys and others in the community will participate in the Sean May Memorial Run/Walk at Barr Lake State Park. The run/walk honors May and benefits his family and the 17th Judicial District Access to Justice Committee. Funds from the race in part helped the committee open the Self-Help Resource Center at the Adams County Justice Center. It opened Jan. 5 and provides computers, information, and staff to help people with legal procedural questions.

Quick recently sat down with Sara Crocker to talk about Sean May and the memorial run created in May’s  honor. For more information about the run/walk, please visit www.seanmaymemorialrun.org.

Tell us about Sean May.

Sean May

Sean May had been with our office for about seven years. He had great credentials; he could have done whatever he wanted and did. He went to Stanford undergraduate and U.Va. [University of Virginia] Law School. He was at law firm downtown and then decided that he wanted to both get into public service and in the courtroom, so he started at the DA’s office. He had just been promoted to a chief deputy, which are our section heads. His particular section was the New Lawyers. He really loved teaching and training new lawyers. He had just been in that job about two and a half months at the time that he was murdered. [He was] just a very optimistic, very positive young man. [His wife] was six months pregnant at the time of his murder, expecting their first child.

Sean was kind of the smart nerd growing up, had kind of a quirky sense of humor, and was very self-effacing for someone as smart as he was. He didn’t take himself too seriously and could laugh at himself pretty well, which is good because other people in a DA’s office will laugh at you, so it’s good trait to be able to laugh at yourself and keeps you with the crowd and not being lonely.

[He was a] very good trial lawyer; I’ve given him some important cases to prosecute and he had always done well with them. He had just finished a murder case six months to a year before [his death], which was a very challenging and difficult case and he had done great on it.

He was very bright; could have done whatever he wanted to in law and did, and chose to go into public service.

How has your office been doing since Sean’s death?

Obviously the first year was very, very rough.  We deal with homicide on a regular basis—right now we have 20 pending murder case prosecutions going on—still no matter how much experience you have, it’s still different when it’s one of your own.

During the first year, everybody was obviously very concerned for Sean’s wife and the baby. There’s some people that were good friends of theirs and they’ve kind of been the liaison between our office and Sean’s wife. It’s never really gone and we don’t want it to be. It’s a hole that we don’t want everybody to think it’s ever going to be filled. So, one group has put together the Sean May Run, another group put together our training room. We’ve got our terrific training facility up there –[it seats]  80 persons, drop-down screens, and everything – and we renamed it the Sean May Training Room in his honor because that was such a focus of his life, training the new lawyers.

We obviously have implemented some new security measures to try to keep people as safe as possible, but at the end of the day, we’re walking across the parking lot to the courthouse, we’re leaving the office, sometimes on weekends, and there’s nothing you can do to make yourself completely safe. But, we’re a little more vigilant.

What I found really supportive, for me anyway, was the fact that no one left the office for nine or 10 months. With a government office, you have some turnover because of salary being lower and those kinds of things, but for almost the first year after Sean’s murder no one left the office and I think that shows the people’s support for each other and the support for the team that they have. I couldn’t have been more proud of the office over the last three years, but especially the year following Sean’s death.

Why was the run/walk created as a way to remember and honor Sean?

It really has two purposes. The first purpose is to make sure other people remember Sean’s legacy as much as we do. For those that know him, even the new deputies that don’t know him, every day they walk into the training room and they get a chance to remember and ask questions about Sean. But also, it’s good for the community to remember Sean May. The proceeds help Sean’s family, so it’s one of those things that we know we’ll never forget, and we’re hoping that the law enforcement and legal communities don’t forget either.

Have you run in the race before? What did you enjoy most about it?

I’ve done it every year. I’m not sure at this pace whether I run it or jog anymore. For folks that don’t know and have not been to Barr Lake, Barr Lake is a hidden treasure in the metro area. People don’t realize that 20 minutes northeast of downtown there is a dirt path that goes around a lake that has a bald eagle reserve, it has cottonwoods; last time I ran there were deer across the canal. It’s just a beautiful spot. The only reason I have any reservations about letting people know more about it is that when we have time at lunch, we’ll sneak over there and go for warm runs. It’s so un-crowded that I almost hate to get the publicity out. I can’t imagine – and I’ve done a lot of runs in the metro area – that there are runs that have the landscape that Barr Lake does. Plus, the majority of the run is all on a dirt trail and when you have 50-year-old knees, it’s good to have a run on the dirt. It’s for a good cause, but it’s also an amazing venue.

How has the legal community responded to Sean’s death and to the race?

We’ve been really pleased that each year [the run] seems to get more and more involvement from outside Adams and Broomfield counties. We’re glad the Colorado Bar Association is making it a focus to inform more people and publicize the event. We’ve been really surprised with the level of support we’ve had in the community, and if people are interested either individually or put together teams of runners from law firms or law offices, then I think that would just further add more enjoyment to the run.  Not that trial lawyers are competitive, it’s always been an experience that I’ve had that a certain percentage are, so if you add a level of competition to it, between law firms or between offices, that’s great.

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Seventeenth Judicial District Seeking Attorneys to Represent Children and Indigent Respondent Parents

March 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The Seventeenth Judicial District is seeking qualified attorneys to provide legal counsel in mental health cases, for children in truancy cases, and for indigent respondent parents in dependency and neglect cases. Basic contract fees and compensation are offered for each appointment in the coming fiscal year (July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2010).

The District has posted new information and application materials for those interested in seeking appointment to such cases.

FY 12 Court Appointed Counsel Application Information

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Access to Justice Committee Opening Self Help Resource Center in Seventeenth Judicial District

December 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The Access to Justice Committee serving Adams and Broomfield counties has partnered with the Seventeenth Judicial District to open a Self Help Resource Center in the Adams County Justice Center.  The center will launch January 5, 2011.

On Monday mornings and Wednesday afternoons, court staff and volunteer attorneys will be available to answer questions about court processes in domestic relations and family cases.  While Center staff members are prohibited from providing legal advice, they will help visitors with forms, information about local procedures, internet resources, and other resource materials.

Our ultimate goal is to develop and define the self help center to be a user-friendly resource,” said Chief Judge C. Vincent Phelps. “We want to ensure that those in need of access to justice have the necessary resources and information available to them.

For further information about the Self Help Resource Center, contact District Administrator Melinda Taylor at (303) 654-3205.

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