The United States District Court
District of Colorado

Under D.C.COLO.LAttyR 15 - Civil Pro Bono Representation the Standing Committee on Pro Se Litigation is responsible for implementing the Civil Pro Bono Panel Program and for reporting annually to the court on the status of the program. The 2022 Annual Report of the Civil Pro Bono Panel is now available HERE for the court's, the bar's, and the public's review. Please also visit the Civil Pro Bono Panel page for more information about the Program.

 

The Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado take great pleasure in announcing the reappointment of part-time United States Magistrate Judge James M. Candelaria to a second term of four years effective January 2, 2023. Magistrate Judge Candelaria sits in Durango, Colorado. The Court unanimously approved Judge Candelaria's reappointment based upon the recommendation of a Merit Selection Panel that recently solicited comments from the public relative to Judge Candelaria's performance. The Merit Selection Panel was comprised of Colorado attorneys and lay persons from the greater Durango area.

 

The United States District Court for the District of Colorado is pleased to announce the selection of Susan Prose and Kathryn Starnella as United States Magistrate Judges. Both selectees have extensive litigation experience. Ms. Prose is currently an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office, and Ms. Starnella currently serves on the Cross-Unit Litigation team of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. Ms. Prose will fill the vacancy created by former Magistrate Judge Wang's recent appointment as a U.S. District Judge. Ms. Starnella will fill the vacancy created by Magistrate Judge Mix's expected retirement on or about August 5, 2023.

Each selectee's appointment is subject to a required background investigation. To assist the Court with the selection process, the Court appointed a nine-member Magistrate Judge Selection Panel that reviewed submissions received from a number of qualified applicants. From this applicant pool, the Selection Panel recommended six candidates it determined were most qualified to serve. Each of the candidates was interviewed by the judges of the Court who made final selections. The Court thanks the members of the Selection Panel for their service.

 

Several judicial officers in the District Court for the District of Colorado, including Chief U.S. District Judge Philip A. Brimmer, District Judge William J. Martínez, District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez, District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney, District Judge Nina Y. Wang, and Senior District Judge Christine M. Arguello, have updated their practice standards effective December 1, 2022.  Please note that Judges Arguello, Rodriguez, Sweeney, and Wang have established Uniform Civil Practice Standards applicable to these four judges.  All parties with cases before any judges with revised practice standards should review these updates.  The standards themselves, as well as a redline version comparing the new standards to the previous (2021) standards, are available on the Court’s website on the “Judicial Officers” page at http://www.cod.uscourts.gov/JudicialOfficers.aspx

 

Please be aware that various federal rules have been amended, eff. Dec. 1, 2022. Please visit the official website of the United States Courts HERE for a complete list of all rule changes, which include appellate, bankruptcy, criminal, and civil rule changes. These federal rule changes do not impact the U.S. District Court, District of Colorado's local rules and practices, and the U.S. District Court will not be revising any local rules in response to these changes. For a summary of the federal rule changes and the operational impact on District of Colorado existing rules, please visit the Local Rules page HERE.

 

It is with great sadness that the United States District Court for the District of Colorado announces the death of Senior United States District Judge Zita L. Weinshienk.  Please find the full press release here.

 

Were you unable to complete the biennial fee payment process recently? The court discovered a technical glitch that has been addressed.  Please attempt to submit payment again.  Thank you for your patience.

 

All U.S. District Court, Dist. of Colorado bar members:  please be aware that the U.S. District Court’s Biennial / Renewal Fee payment of $60.00 will be due beginning Oct. 1, 2022.  The last day to pay the fee is Dec. 31, 2022.  The payment will be made through the court's Case Management/Electronic Case Filing ("CM/ECF") system - payments must be made ONLY through CM/ECF (cash or checks sent to the clerk's office will not be accepted).  Instructions to pay the fee are available on the court's Biennial / Renewal Fee Information page on the court's website, available here.

 

Effectively immediately, U.S. District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez' chambers have moved to A941 on the 9th floor of the Arraj Courthouse. All future hearings before Judge Rodriguez will now be heard in courtroom A901.

 

United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney and United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang were each sworn into office on July 22, 2022 by Chief Judge Philip A. Brimmer. Formal investitures will be planned for each at a later date. Judge Sweeney will start her first day on the bench on August 1, 2022. Her chambers will be in C-253 in the Byron G. Rogers Courthouse, and she is assigned courtroom C-204. Cases assigned to Judge Sweeney will be identified on the docket by her initials CNS. Judge Wang will remain in chambers A-532 and courtroom A-502 of the Alfred A. Arraj Courthouse. Cases assigned to Judge Wang will continue to have her initials NYW.

 

The United States District Court is seeking applications for appointment to the court's Committee on Conduct. The Committee on Conduct presides over attorney disciplinary matters, as defined in D.C.COLO.LAttyR 6(c). There is currently one upcoming vacancy on the Committee. For more information, please visit the Attorney Discipline page of the court's website, available HERE.

 

United States Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell was sworn into office on the afternoon of July 6, 2022 by Chief Judge Philip A. Brimmer. A formal investiture ceremony will be planned for a later date. Magistrate Judge Dominguez Braswell's chambers are located in Colorado Springs. Chamber's telephone number is: 719-575-0328. Cases assigned to Magistrate Judge Dominguez Braswell will be identified on the docket by her initials MDB.

 

Please be aware that effective July 1, 2022, requests for Certificates of Good Standing and requests for Duplicate Bar Certificates must be submitted through the U.S. District Court's Case Management/Electronic Case Filing system ("CM/ECF"). Please note that the use of an e-mailed credit card authorization form to the Clerk's Office will no longer serve as the method to request a certificate and will not be available after July 1. For more information, visit here.

 

In accordance with Volume 3, Chap. 4, § 420 of the Judicial Conference Regulations governing the Selection, Appointment, and Reappointment of United States Magistrate Judges, the Court has appointed a Merit Selection Panel to review the current service of incumbent part-time Magistrate Judge James M. Candelaria. Magistrate Judge Candelaria sits in Durango, Colorado. A copy of the appointment order is available HERE.

 

Under D.C.COLO.LAttyR 15 - Civil Pro Bono Representation the Standing Committee on Pro Se Litigation is responsible for implementing the Civil Pro Bono Panel Program and for reporting annually to the court on the status of the program. The 2021 Annual Report of the Civil Pro Bono Panel is now available HERE for the court's, the bar's, and the public's review. Please also visit the Civil Pro Bono Panel page for more information about the Program.

 

The current term of office of part-time United States Magistrate Judge James M. Candelaria for U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado is due to expire on January 1, 2023. Magistrate Judge Candelaria sits in Durango, Colorado. The United States District Court is required by law to establish a panel of citizens to consider the reappointment of the magistrate judge to a new four-year term. Written comments from members of the bar and the public are invited as to whether the incumbent magistrate judge should be recommended by the panel for reappointment by the court. Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on May 20, 2022. Read more HERE.

 

EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 1, 2021

The United States District Court for the District of Colorado reviewed and approved revisions to the court's Local Rules on Nov. 3, 2021. The amended rules become effective December 1, 2021.  The District Court has clarified Local AP Rule 5.2.  The latest action does not change the filing requirements for social security appeals, but rather emphasizes that filers should not redundantly seek to file their papers using the docket event “Restricted Document level 1.”

The amendments can be found in a redline/strikeout version, a compilation of the revised rules, a summary explaining the rule amendments, and final form by visiting the link below.

Visit the Local Rules page HERE.

 

The United States District Court for the District of Colorado is pleased to announce the selection of Ms. Maritza Dominguez Braswell as a United States Magistrate Judge to sit in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Ms. Dominguez Braswell currently serves as the Deputy Attorney General for the Civil Litigation & Employment Law Section for the State of Colorado. Prior to that, her private practice work centered on complex civil litigation. Ms. Dominguez Braswell will fill the vacancy created by Magistrate Kathleen M. Tafoya's upcoming retirement at the end of January. Ms. Dominguez Braswell's appointment is subject to a required background investigation.

To assist the Court with the selection process, the Court appointed a seven-member Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel that reviewed submissions received from numerous applicants. From this applicant pool, the Selection Panel made its recommendations to the Court of the candidates it determined were most qualified to serve. Each of the candidates was interviewed by the judges of the court before it made its final selections. The Court thanks the members of the Selection Panel for their service.

Upon her retirement, Magistrate Judge Tafoya's pending cases will be reassigned among the Court's other full-time magistrate judges with the expectation that most of these cases will later be reassigned to Ms. Dominguez Braswell upon her appointment.

 

Effective December 1, 2021 U.S. District Judge William J. Martínez and U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty have published revised practice standards. U.S. District Judge Christine M. Arguello has also published revised practice standards. They are listed under the respective judicial officers HERE. Please refer to the Judicial Practice Standards page for other revisions which may have been made recently – including U.S. District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez’s Criminal Practice Standards – and upcoming revisions to the practice standards of U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Domenico (Civil and Criminal) and Judge Rodriguez (Civil).

 

 

EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 1, 2021

The United States District Court for the District of Colorado reviewed and approved revisions to the court's Local Rules on Nov. 3, 2021. The amended rules become effective December 1, 2021.

The Advisory Committee on the Local Rules of Practice and Procedure in the 2020-2021 local rules cycle continued its review of public suggestions and comments for improvements to the local rules.

The amendments can be found in a redline/strikeout version, a compilation of just the revised rules, a summary explaining the rule amendments, and final form by visiting the link below.

Visit the Local Rules page HERE.

 

Effective December 1, 2021 U.S. District Judge William J. Martínez and U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty have published revised practice standards. They are listed under the respective judicial officers HERE. Please refer to the Judicial Practice Standards page for other revisions which may have been made recently – including U.S. District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez’s Criminal Practice Standards – and upcoming revisions to the practice standards of U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Domenico (Civil and Criminal) and Judge Rodriguez (Civil).

 

The Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado take great pleasure in announcing the reappointment of United States Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty to a third term of eight years effective February 15, 2022. The Court unanimously approved Judge Hegarty's reappointment based upon the recommendation of a Merit Selection Panel that recently solicited comments from the public relative to Judge Hegarty's performance. The Merit Selection Panel was comprised of Colorado attorneys and lay persons.

 

A project of the Standing Committee on Pro Se Litigation, the Prison Litigation Handbook is written for - and available to - any attorney who wishes to consider and accept a federal prison litigation case on pro bono basis. Because civil actions involving incarcerated plaintiffs present specific procedural and substantive issues that many attorneys may not address in their everyday practice, the Handbook attempts to provide helpful information for those attorneys new or unfamiliar with this aspect of the law and interested in representing prisoners in civil actions in the District of Colorado. The Handbook is available here.

 

In accordance with Volume 3, Chap. 4, § 420 of the Judicial Conference Regulations governing the Selection, Appointment, and Reappointment of United States Magistrate Judges, the Court has appointed a Merit Selection Panel for the upcoming vacancy for a United States Magistrate Judge located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A copy of the appointment order is available HERE.

 

The Judges of the Court are happy to announce that Ms. Elizabeth K. Russell has been selected as the next Chief U.S. Probation Officer for the District of Colorado. Deputy Chief Russell will succeed Chief Lavetra A. Morgan upon Chief Morgan's retirement at the end of the year.

 

In accordance with D.C.COLO.LAttyR 6(b), the judges of this court have voted and appointed Peter B. Goldstein as Chair; Brooke H. Meyer as Vice Chair; released Thomas J. Overton, Paula D. Greisen, and Edward R. Harris as members of the Committee with the Court’s gratitude; and appointed Matthew K. Belcher, Troy Rackham, and Traci L. Van Pelt as new members of the Committee on Conduct. The U.S. District Court thanks all the applicants to the Committee for their time and interest in serving the legal community.

 

The United States District Court for the District of Colorado announces proposed amendments to its local rules and invites public comment. The proposed amendments can be found by visiting the local rules page on the U.S. District Court website, under the "Local Rules of Practice Open for Comment" column HERE. All comments must be submitted no later than Friday, October 8, 2021. Please e-mail comments to LocalRule_Comments@cod.uscourts.gov, or mail them to the Clerk of the Court, United States District Court, Attn: Legal Officer, Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse, 901 19th Street, Denver, Colorado 80294. Please identify the specific local rule to which your comment(s) relate.

Thank you in advance for your input.

 

United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez was sworn into office on the afternoon of July 1, 2021 by Chief Judge Philip A. Brimmer.  A formal investiture ceremony will be planned for a later date.  Judge Rodriguez's chambers are located in A-738 of the Alfred A. Arraj Courthouse and she is assigned to courtroom A-702.  Chamber's telephone number is: 303-335-2170.   Cases assigned to Judge Rodriguez will be identified on the docket by her initials RMR.

 

 

Pursuant to 28 USC 154(b), the judges of the U.S. District Court have designated U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kimberley H. Tyson as the next Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado. Judge Tyson's seven-year term as Chief Judge will begin on July 1, 2021. The U.S District Court congratulates Judge Tyson and thanks outgoing Chief Judge Michael E. Romero for his service to the District over the past seven years.

 

Beginning June 8, 2021 the Clerk's Office Intake Counter will reopen to public entry. The drop box established inside the front entry of the Arraj Courthouse during the COVID-19 will be discontinued immediately. The Clerk's Office will continue to accept filings from unrepresented parties via email in compliance with procedures published by the Clerk of Court. Available HERE.

 

Under D.C.COLO.LAttyR 15 - Civil Pro Bono Representation, the Standing Committee on Pro Se Litigation is responsible for implementing the Civil Pro Bono Panel Program and for reporting annually to the court on the status of the program. The 2019-2020 Annual Report of the Civil Pro Bono Panel is now available HERE for the court's, the bar's, and the public's review. Please also visit the Civil Pro Bono Panel page for more information about the Program.

 

In response to recent disclosures of widespread breaches of both private sector and government computer systems, federal courts are adding new security procedures to protect highly sensitive documents filed with the courts. General Order 2021-1 outlines the procedures this Court has adopted for the filing of certain highly sensitive documents. The full text of General Order 2021-1 is available here.

 

Under the Rules Enabling Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2071-75, the following changes to the Federal Rules of Appellate, Bankruptcy, and Civil Procedure, and the Federal Rules of Evidence, took effect December 1, 2020:
-Civil Rule 30;
-Evidence Rule 404;
-Appellate Rules 35 and 40; and
-Bankruptcy Rules 2002, 2004, 8012, 8013, 8015, and 8021.

For more details, see the official submissions to Congress by the Chief Justice of all the rule amendments, available HERE.

Additionally, please be aware that there are no District of Colorado local rule revisions in effect.

 

"How to Maximize Your Opportunity for a Successful Mediation” – U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Hegarty; Robbie Barr, Esq., Barr ADR
When: Thursday, March 30, 2023 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
Where: Jury Assembly Room, Arraj U.S. Courthouse – IN PERSON ONLY
2 general CLE credits requested.

Mediations (including settlement conferences) are an integral (and almost inevitable) part of the litigation process. To register, visit the Faculty of Federal Advocates website here.

 

"Roadways to the Bench: Who Me? A Bankruptcy or Magistrate Judge?”– U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judges for the District of Colorado
When: Monday, April 03, 2023 2:30 - 5:00 P.M.
Where: Arraj U.S. Courthouse – IN PERSON ONLY
3 general CLE credits requested. The event is free of charge but registration is required.

The program will begin with a panel discussion among distinguished judges, which will be live-streamed to the Arraj Courthouse and other locations across the country from Washington, D.C. Attendees will then enjoy an hour of rotating roundtables with local district, bankruptcy and magistrate judges, who will discuss their path to the bench and the importance of diversity in the judiciary and the bar. To register, visit the Faculty of Federal Advocates website here.