Four liberal Colorado Supreme Court justices were behind Monday night’s historic ruling that former President Donald Trump would not be allowed to appear on the state’s 2024 presidential ballot.
The Democratic-appointed judges who made the decision include three Ivy League graduates, two of whom were wrongly accused of harassment and discrimination, as well as the first Latina and openly gay woman to serve on the highest court. from Colorado.
His ruling marks the first time in history that Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, which disqualifies insurrectionists from holding public office, has been used to bar a presidential candidate from appearing on the ballot.
Together, Justices Richard L. Gabriel, Melissa Hart, Monica Márquez and William W. Hood III said they had “little difficulty” in determining that the events of January 6, 2021 constitute an insurrection and that Trump did “participate” in the insurrection. alleged rebellion.
Below, The Post delves into the careers of the four justices who formed the majority opinion.
Richard L. Gabriel
Judge Gabriel, originally from Brooklyn, New York, was appointed to the Supreme Court in June 2015 after a career in business and intellectual property law, according to his biography on the Colorado Judiciary website.
Justices Richard L. Gabriel, Melissa Hart, Monica Márquez and William W. Hood III formed the majority opinion to remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot in the state. Colorado Judiciary Judges concluded that Trump participated in an alleged rebellion on January 6, 2021. AP
He graduated from Yale University, earned a bachelor’s degree in American studies, and then earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
In a 2018 review of judicial performance, attorneys wrote that “Judge Gabriel’s performance is strong in the areas of being prepared for oral arguments, being courteous, and treating the parties equally.
“The Commission believes that Judge Gabriel is a valuable asset to the Supreme Court,” the Office of the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission concluded.
A few years later, in 2021, a paralegal accused Gabriel of harassment, the Denver Post reported at the time.
But an outside organization that was called in to investigate allegations of harassment and gender discrimination determined that the allegations were unfounded.
Melissa Hart
Judge Hart was appointed to the court in December 2017 and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado School of Law and the University of Denver Sturm School of Law, according to her biography.
He went to Harvard-Radcliffe to earn his undergraduate degree and then returned to Harvard to study law.
He maintains an active pro bono practice and continues to actively represent clients even while serving on the bench.
A 2020 Office of Judicial Performance Review found that she is “fair and impartial, makes decisions without regard to potential criticism, and treats parties equally regardless of race, sex, or economic status.”
Judge Melissa Hart was appointed to the court in December 2017 and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado School of Law and the University of Denver Sturm School of Law. AP
In September, Hart even warned attorneys about the barriers people face in accessing Colorado’s justice system when he revealed the vision for the Colorado Judicial Department, Colorado Politics reports.
It says: “We are committed to acting with integrity, fairness and transparency. And we are committed to being inclusive, collaborative and innovative.”
But Hart said the judiciary “isn’t there yet,” according to Colorado Politics.
Hart has also been accused of discrimination in a lawsuit filed by a black job applicant.
Michele Brown accused Justice and other judges of engaging in racial and age discrimination when they refused to hire her as a rules attorney, the Denver Post reports.
But a federal judge dismissed the case after finding no evidence of discrimination.
Monica Marquez
Judge Márquez is the first Latina and the first openly gay person to serve on the Colorado Supreme Court, her biography says.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford and, after graduation, served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps as a volunteer school teacher and community organizer in Camden, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Mónica Márquez is the first Latina and the first openly gay person to serve on the Colorado Supreme Court. AP
Márquez earned her law degree from Yale and worked as a deputy attorney general and deputy attorney general in both the Public Officials Unit and the Criminal Appeals Section before being appointed to the court in 2010.
She is now a member of the Bench Dream Team, a group of judges dedicated to diversity and inclusion in the judicial system.
Earlier this year, he received an award for his efforts to promote wellness in the legal profession, Colorado Politics reports.
William W. Hood III
Judge Hood was sworn into the Supreme Court in January 2014 after serving as a trial partner and prosecutor in the state’s 18th Judicial District.
He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and received honors in international relations from Syracuse University.
Hood also taught several advocacy classes as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, his biography says.
William W. Hood III was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice in January 2014 after serving as a trial partner and prosecutor in the state’s 18th Judicial District. AP
A 2016 Office of Judicial Performance Review survey of other attorneys “indicates[s] that Judge Hood’s performance is strong in the areas of being courteous to attorneys, treating parties equally regardless of race, sex, or economic status, and allowing parties to present their arguments.
“Numerous attorneys commented that Judge Hood is intelligent, fair and prepared for oral arguments. The Commission’s observations confirmed this,” the Office of the Judicial Performance Commission wrote.
“The Commission on Judicial Performance believes, without reservation, that Judge Hood is an asset to the Court.”
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