Coloradans should demand accountability from judges
Originally published in The Denver Post:
Colorado’s courts have long lacked the transparency demanded of other branches of government. Deadlines require the state legislature to act on bills in a timely manner and allow citizens to easily monitor their progress.
But the court system operates behind a veil. Lawyers can access certain information as a case moves toward trial, but once a case is heard by a judge – especially a civil, or non-criminal, case – the parties involved have no way to know when to expect a verdict. The public is completely in the dark.
Media watchdogs who would decry lack of accountability by legislators, city councilors or county commissioners seem to accept without question that courts issue opinions whenever they get around to it. News reports about judges failing to produce timely decisions simply do not exist.
A particularly egregious case recently came to a head in Denver District Court where Judge Ross Buchanan issued a ruling nearly three years after trial. Worse still, Buchanan’s ruling smacks of vindictiveness against a defendant who had the temerity to complain about this unconscionable delay. (more…)