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Governor Hickenlooper Appoints More to Judicial Nominating Commissions

May 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, May 29, 2012, Governor John Hickenlooper announced several Board and Commission appointments. The appointments were to the Second, Fifth, Sixth, Twelfth, and Twenty-First 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 members appointed to the Second Judicial District Judicial Nominating Commission for terms expiring December 31, 2017, are:

  • Larry Allen Nelsen of Denver, to serve as a non-attorney and as a Republican from Denver County.
  • Andrew Dean Schneider of Denver, to serve as a non-attorney and as an Unaffiliated from Denver County.

The members appointed to the Fifth Judicial District Judicial Nominating Commission for terms expiring December 31, 2017, are:

  • Gregory V. Johnson of Edwards, to serve as a non-attorney and as a Republican from Eagle County.
  • Heather N. Scanlon of Leadville, to serve as a non-attorney and as a Democrat from Lake County.

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

  • Stephen C. Fearn of Silverton, to serve as a non-attorney and as a Democrat from San Juan County.

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

  • Marvin K. “Zeke” Ward of Creede, to serve as a non-attorney and as a Republican from Mineral County.

The members appointed to the Twenty-First Judicial District Judicial Nominating Commission for terms expiring December 31, 2017, are:

  • Ivan Daniel Geer of Grand Junction, to serve as a non-attorney and as a Republican from Mesa County.
  • Beverly Jean Sewell of Grand Junction, to serve as a non-attorney and as a Republican from Mesa County.
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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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Congratulations to the Colorado Judicial Department’s Outstanding Employees of 2010

March 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment

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. On Friday, March 25, 2011, the Judicial Department announced its 2010 awards recipients:

  • Court Employee of the Year - Gayle Tenorio
    • Tenorio is division clerk in the Boulder County Court and was nominated for the award by a judge, magistrate, and handful of court judicial assistants serving the Twentieth Judicial District. Tenorio’s positive attitude, work ethic, and attention to detail were all traits noted by those who nominated her.
  • Judicial Officer of the Year – The Honorable David A. Bottger
    • Bottger is chief judge of the Twenty-first Judicial District. His thoughtfulness and caring of the trial court employees and community in Mesa County, trust in his management team, refraining from micromanagement, and challenging his team were qualities noted by those who nominated him.
  • Manager of the Year - Karen Salaz
    • Salaz is district administrator of the Nineteenth Judicial District. She was noted as being a role model for all employees by assisting in many areas during staff shortages, striving for fairness, and working after hours and on weekends with representatives from Weld County and contractors on a recent construction project to add five courtrooms.
  • Probation Employee of the Year - Karoline Borega-Kern
    • Borega-Kern is an officer in the Female Offender Program in the Fourth Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties) Probation Department. Those who nominated her noted that she always goes above and beyond her normal duties, taking on extra work while maintaining a positive attitude, and being a serious advocate for the women in the Female Offender Program to help them successfully complete their probation terms.
  • State Court Administrator’s Office Employee of the Year - Shane Bahr
    • Bahr is program coordinator for Colorado’s problem-solving courts. Since joining the Judicial Department in 2007, he is noted as having worked tirelessly to ensure the successful implementation and maintenance of these courts throughout the state by securing grant funding for problem-solving courts such as drug court, truancy court, and DUI court, helping to develop their data-gathering capabilities, and helping lead annual conferences attended by hundreds of professionals.
  • Team Award – Michael Arriaga, Grace Cozzetto, Amanda McGowan, Lisa Padilla, Mike Ramirez, and Janet Sisneros
    • The recipients of this award comprise the six-member juvenile probation team in the Tenth Judicial District (Pueblo County). The team members were commended by those nominating them for their dedication to children and the program, along with their collaborative approach within the community to problem solving and professionalism.

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 nearly 900 probation supervisors and officers. The department’s officers are responsible for supervising approximately 6,400 juvenile offenders and 55,500 adult offenders. As of July 1, 2010, the Colorado Judicial Branch employed approximately 3,400 employees, which includes 316 justices, judges, and magistrates. In fiscal year 2010, the latest for which full statistics are available, there were 541,591 cases filed statewide at the County Court level, 236,671 cases filed in District Court, 2,890 in the Court of Appeals, and 1,518 in the Supreme Court. There were 1,215 cases filed in the water courts.

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2013-05-24 03:28:10