Justice
Mental health crisis feared in Colorado jails and prisons due to COVID-19 lockdowns
From the moment Eva Ruiz opens her eyes in the morning until she lays her head down at night, she’s worrying about her son, Joel Ramirez. “There are times where he calls me and tells me, ‘Mom, I don’t know how much more I can take of this,'” said Ruiz, whose 36-year-old son is serving […]
Judge rules Fort Collins violated man’s constitutional rights when it prosecuted him for sleeping in his car
A Colorado district judge ruled on Thursday that the city of Fort Collins violated the U.S. Constitution when it prosecuted a man for sleeping in his vehicle when he was not able to stay in a homeless shelter. Adam Wiemold, a Fort Collins resident, was charged in September 2018 for violating the city’s “camping on […]
Biden rolls back Trump policy on separation of migrant children from their parents
President Joe Biden signed three executive orders on Tuesday evening that will reverse controversial policies from the previous administration, including one that resulted in the separation of migrant children from their parents.
Immigrant legal defense fund sought by Colorado lawmakers
State Rep. Kerry Tipper, a Lakewood Democrat, plans to sponsor a bill to help low-income immigrants facing deportation pay for legal defense.
Private prison phase-out is welcome. Now do it for immigration.
Less than a week into his term, Biden issued an executive order that will phase out Department of Justice contracts with private firms that operate criminal detention facilities. It was a welcome move. But an incomplete one.
Denver officials didn’t give notice before large-scale homeless sweeps in part to avoid protests, federal judge writes
A federal judge issued a ruling on Monday requiring Denver city officials to give seven days notice before clearing most homeless encampments, or two days notice if the area is deemed dangerous to public health and safety. The preliminary injunction was issued by Judge William J. Martinez on Jan. 25 after three days of evidentiary […]
‘Not acceptable, whatsoever’: Medicaid mismanagement draws lawmaker scrutiny
Colorado state lawmakers grilled leaders of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing on Friday regarding a slew of serious noncompliance issues related to Medicaid, the state’s low-income health insurance plan. As of June 2020, HCPF had 17 noncompliance issues — 14 of which are deemed high priority — the highest number of any […]
ACLU files appeal to Colorado Supreme Court, wants Gov. Polis to decrease prison population
The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado on Thursday submitted an expedited appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court regarding the recent dismissal of a lawsuit which aimed to decrease the state’s prison population in light of the pandemic. The original lawsuit, which was filed in May in Denver District Court and later dismissed on Dec. […]
Biden immigration overhaul would open a door to citizenship for 11 million people
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is poised to send a sweeping immigration reform bill to Congress Thursday that would lay out a path for nearly 11 million undocumented people to obtain citizenship within eight years. Immigration has been one of the toughest issues for Congress to tackle, and the legislation’s fate is unclear in a […]
Q&A: A Colorado history professor who studies fascism talks about the Capitol insurrection — and what could come next
When the Capitol insurrection was in full swing on Jan. 6, Michael Ortiz, an assistant professor of world history at the University of Northern Colorado, was trying — somewhat unsuccessfully — to finish writing the conclusion of his book exploring the history of fascism. Ortiz, who studies how fascism and imperialism intersect, was glued to […]
Black women find healing (but sometimes racism, too) in the outdoors
It would be the last hike of the season, Jessica Newton had excitedly posted on her social media platforms. With mild weather forecast and Colorado’s breathtaking fall foliage as a backdrop, she was convinced an excursion at Beaver Ranch Park would be the quintessential way to close out months of warm-weather hikes with her “sister […]
Republican praise of Martin Luther King will sound even more hollow and hypocritical now
There’s a long list of Republicans who ought not part their lips this holiday weekend to praise Martin Luther King Jr., to quote from his most famous speech, or suggest in any way that they know anything about content of character. That list includes the 138 Republicans in the U.S. House and the six Republicans […]