Gabriel garcia

A harassment accusation made nearly eight years ago against Colorado Supreme Court Justice Richard Gabriel, then a judge on the state Court of Appeals, by a newly hired law clerk was settled quickly and quietly, according to two people with knowledge of the agreement, essentially ensuring it would not sully his shot at the high court. To safeguard that secrecy, the Colorado Judicial Department had the female appellate law clerk who made the accusation in September 2013 – then a 34-year-old who was a year out of an Ivy League law school – sign a non-disclosure agreement that kept her on the payroll for a year in return for her promise not to sue, the sources confirmed for The Denver Post. The woman claimed the judge and a male law clerk in the court created an uncomfortable work environment for her shortly after her arrival in August 2013, the sources said. In an email to The Post, Gabriel said that “any suggestion that I engaged in any form of harassment of anyone at any time is … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Justice Richard Gabriel faced harassment accusation while a candidate for Colorado’s high court

BuzzFeed is being widely criticized by reporters for its decision on Tuesday to publish an unsubstantiated 35-page dossier alleging that the Russian government is blackmailing Donald Trump with dirt on illicit sexual and financial activities. BuzzFeed published the document just after CNN broke a story that Trump and President Obama were briefed by U.S. intelligence officials last week that Russian operatives claim to have damaging personal and financial information about the president-elect. [dcquiz] BuzzFeed’s document is a 35-page report compiled by a former British spy who was hired by Trump’s political opponents during the presidential campaign. The document, which has floated around Beltway reporter circles for months, states, among other things, that Trump engaged in kinky sex acts with Russian prostitutes while visiting Moscow. Other outlets who have seen the document chose not to publish it, largely because the claims laid out in it could not be independently … [Read more...] about Journos BLAST BuzzFeed For Publishing Unsubstantiated Trump Dossier

A French government spokesman said Wednesday officials are hoping to lift some of the nation’s COVID-19-related restrictions by the middle of next month, as vaccinations have, so far, proven effective at lowering infection rates. At a Paris news conference, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal told reporters that while the nation is still facing hard times, “For the first time in months, the return to more normal living conditions is in sight.” Attal said infection rates are decreasing among groups that have been vaccinated — meaning the elderly. Attal said it is a sign the vaccination campaign is working, and that it should be sped up. He said the goal of vaccinating the most fragile was to reduce hospitalizations and protect the health care system, which is key to easing restrictions. The spokesman said President Emmanuel Macron has asked government officials to submit proposals gearing up toward a "cautious reopening" of the country. Earlier this week, Health Minister … [Read more...] about France Could Ease COVID-19 Restrictions Next Month

The three-minute video posted on the Florida Supreme Court’s website shows the moment a judge, dressed in her black robes, put her hands on the shoulders of a courthouse employee and briefly shook him. The video, along with 62 documents that outline the judicial misconduct case against Circuit Judge Vegina T. Hawkins, became public record in July 2019 once the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission began formal disciplinary proceedings against the judge. Hawkins lost her re-election bid in 2020, and the disciplinary case was dismissed. But as the case wound through the state’s formal disciplinary process, the public could follow along. Florida is one of 26 states where confidentiality for a judge accused of misconduct ends once formal charges are filed by a disciplinary commission. Other states with similar practices include California, Kansas and Washington. Another seven states make the cases public once the accused has a chance to respond to the allegations, and two more … [Read more...] about Judicial discipline largely handled in “darkness” in Colorado, with most states offering greater transparency

The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the other branches of state government to choose independent investigators to dig into allegations a $2.5 million contract was the result of a threatened tell-all lawsuit. Chief Justice Brian Boatright called on the Legislature and Gov. Jared Polis to decide who will examine allegations of undisciplined sexual harassment within the judiciary laid out in a two-page memo made public last week. RELATED: Colorado Supreme Court releases memo citing examples of sex-discrimination, judicial misconduct that led to alleged contract for silence “We’re disappointed and absolutely heartbroken by this situation, and nobody wants these investigations to go forward more than I do,” Boatright said in a release. Boatright said a panel of representatives from the governor’s office, the attorney general’s office and the general assembly will be identified Thursday when he gives the State of the Judiciary speech. He said he will also comment … [Read more...] about Colorado Supreme Court asks other branches of government to pick investigators