Colorado Supreme Court opinions shrink in volume but stir policy debate
By Michael Karlik | Denver Gazette
Justice Richard Gabriel outpaced his peers by far in the volume of written opinions and his frequency in dissent
The Colorado Supreme Court's most visible decision of its recently concluded term may actually be the one it made five years ago.
In 2020, with the retirement of then-Chief Justice Nathan B. Coats, the court's other members decided to switch to a rotational method of filling the seat, with the judicial branch's top job term-limited to approximately three years. Last summer, the first rotation occurred, with Justice Brian D. Boatright stepping down and Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez stepping in.
Since then, the "Márquez court" has made big moves in key areas.
It decided a bundle of five appeals about crim...

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