May 22, 2013

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Denver Probate Court No Longer Accepting Faxes as of September 2012

August 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

As of September 1, 2012, faxes will no longer be accepted in the Denver Probate Court without permission of the Judge.

Pro se litigants without an attorney may file in paper format with the court. Attorneys in probate cases should use LexisNexis File and Serve to submit filings to the Court. Attorneys in mental health cases should submit filings via email at DenverProbateMH@judicial.state.co.us.

Further details about this change are contained in Presiding Judge Order 12-02: Order Regarding Fax Filings in the Denver Probate Court.

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Elizabeth Starrs Appointed as Second Judicial District Court Judge

July 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, July 3, 2012, Governor John Hickenlooper announced his appointment of Elizabeth Ann Starrs to serve as a district court judge in the Second Judicial District, which covers Denver County. Starrs will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the Honorable Christina Habas. Her appointment is effective July 13.

Elizabeth Starrs is currently a partner at Starrs Mihm LLP, a position she has held since 2003. Her present law practice focuses on extensive commercial and complex civil litigation including business torts, legal malpractice, employment, medical malpractice, and insurance bad faith. Before starting her own firm, Starrs worked for a number of private law firms, including Cooper & Kelly P.C. and Kennedy & Christopher P.C. She served as president of the Colorado Bar Association from 2006-2007.

Starrs earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Suffolk University Law School.

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Finalists Selected to Fill Judgeship on Second Judicial District Court

June 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Second Judicial District Nominating Commission has nominated three candidates for a district court judgeship created by the resignation of the Honorable Christina M. Habas on July 13, 2012.

The nominees for the bench are Daniel Christopher, Kandace Gerdes, and Elizabeth Starrs. All nominees are from Denver and were selected by the commission on June 15.

Under the Colorado Constitution, Governor Hickenlooper has until July 3 to appoint one of the nominees as District Court Judge for the Second Judicial District, which serves Denver County.

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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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Vacancy on Second Judicial District Court Bench Following Resignation of Judge Christina Habas

May 21, 2012 by 2 Comments

The Second Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet June 15, 2012 to interview and select nominees for appointment by Governor Hickenlooper to the office of District Judge for the Second Judicial District, which serves Denver County. The vacancy will be created by the resignation of the Honorable Christina M. Habas on July 13.

Eligible applicants for appointment to fill the vacancy must be qualified electors of the Second Judicial District and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Colorado for five years. Applications must be received by Friday, June 1. The appointed district court judge will serve an initial provisional term of two years before facing a retention election. If retained in the general election, judges serve six-year terms.

Further information about applying for the vacancy is available here from the Colorado Judicial Branch.

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New Probate Court Judge Appointed in Denver County

June 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, Governor John Hickenlooper announced the appointment of Elizabeth Leith to serve as Probate Court Judge in the Second Judicial District, which serves Denver County. Leith will replace the Honorable C. Jean Stewart, who is stepping down as of June 30, 2011. Leith, who is from Denver, will begin at the Denver Probate Court on July 1.

Leith is currently Magistrate Judge for the Second Judicial District, where she has served since 1999. Before becoming a magistrate, she served as an Assistant City Attorney for Denver, Human Services Section, and as Deputy District Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District, Child Enforcement Unit. Leith also spent time as an associate attorney and in private practice.

Leith earned her bachelor’s degree from Metropolitan State College of Denver and her law degree from the University of Denver College of Law.

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Denver Drug Court to Hold Graduation Ceremony in Celebration of National Drug Court Month

May 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The Denver Drug Court will hold a special graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 18, 2011, to celebrate National Drug Court Month and the twenty-second anniversary of the establishment of drug courts throughout the nation.

Thirty-eight men and women are slated to graduate from the Denver Drug Court program on Wednesday, bringing the total number of 2011 graduates to 102. Last year, 232 people graduated from the program. “Graduation marks a drug court participant’s completion of a 12- to 24-month intensive treatment program that includes probation supervision, in-court review hearings, substantial judicial oversight, and full accountability of the Drug Court participant.”

The ceremony will be held at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse, 520 W. Colfax Ave., in the Jury Room, Room 100, at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Among those scheduled to speak are Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael L. Bender and former governor Bill Ritter.

The Denver Drug Court was originally established in 1994 as one of the first drug courts in the country. In 2007, the Denver Drug Court was redesigned to become more effective. The court is absorbing nearly 40 percent of the criminal filings that would otherwise land on a traditional district court docket, greatly reducing the amount of time the court needs to process a drug case.

National Drug Court Month is coordinated on a national level by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, which was established in 1994 to assist in the planning, implementation and operation of drug courts. What started in a Florida courtroom 22 years ago has become the nation’s most successful strategy for dealing with substance-abusing offenders. The Denver Drug Court graduation is being held in concert with graduations in many of the 2,500 Drug Courts across the country.

Activities and commemorations during National Drug Court Month will center on the theme “Drug Courts: A Proven Budget Solution.”

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Judge Stewart to Resign from the Denver Probate Court

April 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The Second Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet at the Denver City and County Building on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, to interview and select nominees for appointment by Governor Hickenlooper to the office of district judge for the Probate Court in the Second Judicial District (Denver County).  The vacancy will be created by the resignation of the Honorable C. Jean Stewart on June 30, 2011.

Eligible applicants for appointment to fill the vacancy must be a qualified elector of the Second Judicial District and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Colorado for five years. The application deadline is Thursday, April 28, 2011. The appointed judge will serve an initial provisional term of two years before facing a retention election. Retained judges serve six-year terms.

Further information about the resignation of Judge Stewart and applying for the vacancy is available from the Colorado Judicial Branch.

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Candidates Named for New Judgeships in Second Judicial District

November 17, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The Second Judicial District Nominating Commission has nominated six candidates for two District Court judgeships created pursuant to House Bill 07-1054, effective January 1, 2011. The nominating commission selected the candidates on November 15, 2010.

The nominees are Ross B.H. Buchanan, J. Eric Elliff, A. Bruce Jones, Elizabeth D. Leith, Norman R. Mueller, and Christine A. Washburn, all of Denver.

Under the Colorado Constitution, Governor Ritter has until December 1, 2010 to appoint two of the nominees as District Court judges for Denver County.

Comments regarding the nominees can be emailed to the Governor’s office.

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Denver County Seeks New Judge to Succeed Retiring Judge Herbert Galchinsky

August 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Veteran Denver County Court Judge Herbert Galchinsky has announced his retirement, and the Denver County Court Judicial Nomination Commission is accepting applications for Denver attorneys interested in succeeding him on the bench.

All attorneys licensed to practice in Colorado for at least five years and who are registered electors in Denver are eligible to apply for the judgeship. Application packages (consisting of one original application plus eight copies) must be received by the Denver County Court Presiding Judge’s Office at the City and County Building, 1437 Bannock St., Room 108, no later than Friday, August 13 at 5:00 p.m.

County court judges receive a provisional, two-year appointment by the governor, after which they are retained by voter approval every four years. The annual salary is $152,445.

Judge Galchinsky is affectionately nicknamed “Herbie the Love Judge” due to his popularity as a marriage official in his off hours.  He has served as a county judge for 16 years.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

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