Colorado Supreme Court weighs restitution rules and new judicial discipline proposals

The Colorado Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments on Tuesday, focusing on whether trial judges can impose crime victim restitution if prosecutors fail to provide necessary details at sentencing. The court is also reviewing a juvenile sex assault adjudication based on CCTV testimony and a senior living facility's insurance claim for property unusable during the pandemic.

In other rulings, the high court largely reversed a Larimer County judge’s decision blocking prosecutors from using certain police-obtained evidence. The justices also intervened in two ongoing cases to determine if a lawsuit should be paused during an arbitration appeal and whether a criminal defendant faces a double jeopardy violation.

Meanwhile, the Judicial Discipline Rule-Making Committee announced ten proposed rules for public comment, including a provision encouraging stipulated settlements between discipline authorities and accused judges. Written feedback on the proposals is due by October 21, with a virtual comment session scheduled for October 26.

Read the full story at Colorado Politics.