Colorado

Colo. Lawyer Told to Pay Client $145K; a ‘Big Victory,’ He Says

A Colorado personal injury lawyer who was ordered by a jury to pay a former client $145,000 says the verdict represents a “big victory” for him, because the plaintiff was seeking much more. However, the former client, Shawna Jimenez, 40, says she is happy with the award against attorney Franklin…

May 7, 2008 10:36 PM CDT

Judge Removes DA’s Office From Murder Case, Cites Ethics Breach

In an unprecedented move, a Colorado district attorney’s office was yanked from a death penalty case after a judge learned that one of the prosecutors had previously represented the defendant. The judge also ruled that the district attorney’s office violated professional conduct rules in handling the case. In a ruling…

Apr 9, 2008 4:24 PM CDT

Racial-Profiling Hotline Opens for Biz in Denver

Community activists in Denver have launched a racial-profiling hotline for drivers who believe they’ve been pulled over or targeted by police because of race. The Colorado Racial Profiling and Police Discrimination Hotline is a project of the Colorado Progressive Coalition, a 12-year-old nonprofit group that claims 5,500 members, the Denver…

Apr 9, 2008 10:44 AM CDT

Colorado Ballot Measure Targets Execs Who Fail to Stop Corporate Fraud

A former employee at Qwest Communications is backing a ballot measure in Colorado that would create the nation’s toughest corporate fraud law. Lew Ellingson, who had a job splicing phone cables, told the New York Times he became angry when Qwest colleagues lost their life savings after insider trading allegations…

Apr 1, 2008 3:32 PM CDT

Lawyer Suspected of Client Fraud Missing for Nearly a Year

Updated A Colorado lawyer suspected of stealing as much as $1 million from clients has been missing for almost a year. Royal “Scoop” Daniel III of Breckenridge disappeared on April 27 last year, the Vail Daily reports. That day someone placed a 911 call from Daniel’s cell phone, but no…

Mar 25, 2008 2:19 PM CDT

Smoking, Like Murder, Can Only Be Faked Onstage, Colo. Court Says

Cigarette smoking is not protected by the First Amendment and neither are Colorado actors who smoke on stage, a Colorado appeals court has ruled. Some states allow actors to get around smoking bans by barring tobacco but not herbal cigarettes. But the Colorado Court of Appeals said in a ruling…

Mar 21, 2008 3:20 PM CDT

Newly Merged Husch Blackwell Opening New Chicago and Denver Offices

A newly formed St. Louis-based law firm is on an expansion tear. As the dust is still settling from the merger that created Husch Blackwell Sanders, the firm has announced plans to open two new offices, in Chicago and Denver, before the end of the month. “David Fenley, who is…

Mar 11, 2008 3:23 PM CDT

Denver Chief U.S. Judge Faces Ethics Probe Over Alleged Links to Prostitutes

A report at 9News.com says Colorado’s chief federal judge is facing an ethics investigation for alleged links to a Denver prostitution business. The story alleges that investigators found the name and cell phone number of Chief U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham on a list of clients of the business, known…

Mar 11, 2008 11:20 AM CDT

3 Lawyers’ New Gigs: Headmistress, Concrete Worker, Rap Artist

For lawyers unhappy in their current jobs, three recent reports of career changes by successful attorneys might offer some food for thought. Pinney Allen, 54, a top female partner at Alston & Bird, is leaving the firm July 1 to run the Atlanta Girls’ School, according to a Daily Report…

Mar 6, 2008 5:39 PM CST

McDermott Ordered to Pay Attorney Fees for ‘Abuse of Advocacy’

A federal judge in Colorado has ordered McDermott Will & Emery and one of its clients to pay the legal fees of an opponent in a patent infringement case because of “abuse of advocacy.” U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch chastised two McDermott lawyers, Terrence McMahon and Vera Elson, in his…

Feb 15, 2008 12:57 PM CST

Critic Says Denver Law Firm’s Ads Feature Lawyer Stereotypes

A Denver law firm’s new ad campaign featuring fictional obstructionist lawyers is raising some eyebrows. The business-suited characters in the ads, running in the Denver Business Journal, block people trying to access an ATM, putt a golf ball and grab a towel after a shower, the Denver Post reports. “If…

Jan 30, 2008 3:01 PM CST

DNA Frees Man Convicted Partly Because of Gory Art

Updated: A man who was convicted of murder in 1999 partly on the basis of gory sketches and stories found in his home was released Tuesday after DNA evidence pointed to another suspect. Tim Masters told CNN he is relieved to be free, but he remains angry at investigator Jim…

Jan 24, 2008 5:25 PM CST

Colo. Pedestrians Nabbed for Jury Duty

A number of pedestrians in Greeley, Colo., were stunned yesterday to be handed documents requiring them to report immediately for jury duty as they were out and about, attending to their own affairs. After only 40 of the 200 people summoned for jury duty by mail showed up in court,…

Jan 18, 2008 12:17 AM CST

Fleeing Prisoner Blames Injuries on Lax Jail Security

A prisoner who hurt himself while trying to escape from jail has filed a lawsuit claiming a Colorado sheriff caused his injuries by making it too easy to flee. Scott Anthony Gomez Jr. fell 40 feet as he used bedsheets to try to rappel down the side of the Pueblo…

Jan 14, 2008 2:07 PM CST

Plaintiff Faces Avalanche of Calls in Ski Suit Backlash

A Pennsylvania man and his wife left their home over the holidays after becoming the target of angry calls following their suit against an 8-year-old boy. The couple claims the child, then 7, collided with David J. Pfahler while they were skiing at the Beaver Creek ski resort. They are…

Jan 2, 2008 6:08 PM CST