In other court-related news, Colorado’s congressional delegation has decided it’s time to add a couple more judicial benches at the federal courthouse here.
It’s a bipartisan effort between Republican Reps. Scott Tipton, Mike Coffman, Doug Lamborn, and the Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette, Jared Polis and Ed Perlmutter – Ken Buck is the only member of the House delegation not on board.
Despite our lack of zeal on most occasion that we could make do with a little less federal authority and more state control, the courts are a different matter. And our delegation makes a strong case for the need of at least two new judgeships.
Geographically, the United States District Court for the District of Colorado is one of the largest in the nation, second only to Alaska.
The seven judges who serve our expansive district, literally do so by traversing the entire state.
Even though Colorado’s population has increased by 66 percent, a new judgeship has not been created since 1984.
According to our delegation’s math, that equals “judicial crisis.”
We can only hope that should Congress agree and send more judges to lift the court’s caseload burden, that the nominees chosen show the extraordinary professional qualifications of judicial temperament, integrity and professional competence.