It’s fascinating that The Denver Post chose to run a story about a judge being disciplined in another state. Do you realize that if that judge was in Colorado, the story would not be possible?
In Alabama, as in most other states, judicial discipline proceedings are public. But in Colorado, judicial discipline proceedings are confidential. Even if a judge is ultimately disciplined in Colorado, that discipline almost always remains private and not even the judicial performance commissions, which make recommendations to the public regarding whether to retain a judge, know about the discipline.
The confidentiality regarding judicial discipline is written into our state constitution. And if voters make it more difficult to amend the state constitution this fall, they will essentially forever enshrine Colorado in darkness regarding judicial discipline. Colorado needs sunshine on judicial discipline.
We shouldn’t make it harder to get that sunshine.
Chris Forsyth, Wheat Ridge
The writer is executive director of the Judicial Integrity Project.
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Colorado lacks transparency on judicial discipline
Well said. But, I think most states have confidentiality. Who is that confidentiality protecting? Well, we all know, don't we?
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