Michael Karlik
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Michael Karlik
@michaelkarlik.bsky.social
1K followers 490 following 680 posts
Judicial reporter at coloradopolitics.com and gazette.com. Shining a light on the work of our state and federal judges. Plus, full-time bird caretaker.
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Michael Karlik @michaelkarlik.bsky.social · Feb 2
During the first Trump term, I released an 8-episode podcast chronicling a small Ohio city where a group of political dissidents took control of the council, drove out the longtime Democratic mayor, and governed chaotically. This seems like a good time to resurface it:
tearitdownpodcast.substack.com
Tear It Down | Substack
A small group of outsiders wanted to change their city for the better. So they got elected. And then the revenge began. Listen on iTunes: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&...
tearitdownpodcast.substack.com
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
ICYMI: Here's the full story about today's ruling by Senior Judge Brooke Jackson in Colorado, advancing a class action lawsuit over unlawful, warrantless immigration arrests.

www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/25/f...
November 26, 2025 at 5:52 AM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
Here is a brief write-up, with details to come:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/25/f...
November 25, 2025 at 8:23 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
BREAKING: Judge R. Brooke Jackson in Colorado has ordered the government to follow the law when performing warrantless immigration arrests. In addition to finding the government is engaging in violations, he has imposed documentation requirements to ensure compliance. Story to come.
Plaintiffs were not ICE targets. They were not the “worst of the worst.” But when encountered, often by happenstance, they were flagged as persons unlawfully present, minimally questioned (if at all), and arrested (ECF No. 1 at ¶¶55, 75, 100, 124). Their I-213 forms are devoid of evidence that the officer had the requisite probable cause to arrest them without a warrant (see infra Section IV.C.2). Despite its own proclaimed policies (Def. Ex. EG), ICE continues to engage to this day in the practice of arresting collaterals without inquiring into their flight risk or documenting any plausible reason to support their warrantless detention
November 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
Colorado's Supreme Court held a hearing about tweaks to the rules for attorney misconduct proceedings. But commenters wanted to address something that wasn't in the proposal: A way to hold lawyers professionally accountable for sexual misconduct at any time: www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/24/c...
November 25, 2025 at 4:37 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
An Arapahoe County judge gave a faulty self-defense instruction in a road rage murder case, prompting the Court of Appeals to order a new trial:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/24/a...
Appeals court overturns road rage murder conviction due to faulty jury instruction
Colorado's second-highest court overturned a defendant's murder conviction on Thursday, concluding an Arapahoe County judge provided an incorrect self-defense instruction to the jury about the road ra...
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:35 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
The Colorado Supreme Court heard arguments over a Court of Appeals decision that wiped away a $5.7 million award to a transit subcontractor and imposed a drastic consequence for public works contractors who exaggerate their money owed:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/25/c...
Colorado justices consider whether to restore $5.7 million award to RTD subcontractor
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court considered last week whether the Court of Appeals incorrectly threw out a $5.7 million award to a company that helped build a commuter rail line and, in doing so,...
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Reposted by Michael Karlik
ncrabbithole.com
"After federal immigration officers in Charlotte saw a man taking photos of them, they chased him nearly 2 miles down a main road and made plans to “smash” into him, video played in court Thursday showed. They broke his window, charged him with a federal felony and accused him of assaulting them."
ICE video shows officers planned to ‘smash’ into Charlotte man filming Border Patrol
Immigration agents had a 12-pack of Modelos in their car while making arrests, Miguel Angel Garcia Martinez told investigators.
www.charlotteobserver.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:40 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
A federal judge fined a lawyer $3,000 for including flawed case citations and being evasive when her opposing council called her on it. Although the lawyer blamed the mistake on her own carelessness, Judge Nina Wang pointed out the “hallmarks” of AI use:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/20/f...
Federal judge fines lawyer $3,000 for 'reckless' filings with incorrect info
A federal judge took the unusual step last week of fining an attorney $3,000 for submitting flawed case citations, being evasive when her opposing counsel raised concerns and relying on cases that did...
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:00 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
The Colorado Supreme Court seemed sympathetic to a defendant’s argument that an El Paso County prosecutor pursued an unjustified mid-case appeal, pushing her trial beyond the state’s speedy trial deadline and requiring dismissal of the charges:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/20/c...
Colorado justices sympathetic to defendant's claim of speedy trial violation
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court appeared sympathetic on Wednesday to the argument that an El Paso County prosecutor made an unjustified decision to file a mid-case appeal, pushing the trial beyo...
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Reposted by Michael Karlik
ndhapple.bsky.social
My "I'm not allowed to say what the career staff recommended" t-shirt is raising a lot of questions answered by my "I'm not allowed to say what the career staff recommended" t-shirt
kyledcheney.bsky.social Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 6d
BREAKING: Prosecutors in the Comey case just told the judge that they’re under orders from the Deputy Attorney Generals’s office not to disclose whether career prosecutors wrote a memo recommending *against* indicting Comey prior to Halligan going to the grand jury.
November 19, 2025 at 4:24 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
NEW: Judge Gina Rodriguez said she had no reason to believe the federal government won't follow her orders "under normal circumstances." For now, she'll only consider a declaratory judgment about the rights of detained noncitizens, rather than something more:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/20/f...
November 20, 2025 at 9:28 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
Colorado's Court of Appeals believed traffic signals aren't "conflicting" if one direction is dark and the other direction is functional, reasoning that drivers can logically figure it out. But the Supreme Court doesn't seem to buy that technicality:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/19/c...
Colorado justices skeptical that Colorado Springs is immune for crash caused by faulty signal
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court seemed doubtful on Wednesday that the city of Colorado Springs cannot be sued over a collision that occurred as a result of traffic lights that were functioning n...
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:05 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
The Colorado Supreme Court seems receptive to the idea that lawyers can borrow allegations from other litigation for use in their complaints, provided that there is some investigation into the assertions made:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/19/c...
Colorado justices receptive to allowing lawyers to 'borrow' allegations from elsewhere
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court seemed open on Tuesday to the idea that plaintiffs' lawyers can use allegations made elsewhere to bolster their own clients' claims, so long as the attorney first...
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Reposted by Michael Karlik
cingraham.bsky.social
I always kind of assumed this was happening but never thought anyone would be dumb enough to spell it out in an email!
November 20, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by Michael Karlik
golikehellmachine.com
we are returning to the state in which the framers intended for the legislature, in which the lower chamber and the upper chamber absolutely despise one another
jamiedupree.bsky.social Jamie Dupree @jamiedupree.bsky.social · 6d
The House has voted unanimously to repeal the provisions in the shutdown package which allow GOP Senators to sue the federal government and get as much as $1 million in damages - because the feds looked at their phone records in the Jan. 6 investigation.
November 20, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Reposted by Michael Karlik
fishnette.bsky.social
#copolitics campaign finance decision a long time coming: this Colorado Supremes case is originally from 2020. Since then: a new law with specific percentages on nonprofit spending on ballot measures. Unite for Colorado changed its name to Advance Colorado Action. via @michaelkarlik.bsky.social
Colorado justices weigh disclosure requirements for ballot initiative spending
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court considered on Tuesday whether an organization that spent $4 million to advocate for ballot initiatives in the 2020 election was required to disclose its donors an...
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:46 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
Colorado lawmakers may have passed a partially unconstitutional law by providing that judges' anti-SLAPP orders go to the Court of Appeals. Yesterday, the Colorado Supreme Court suggested that may work sometimes, but not for certain county court decisions:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/18/c...
Colorado justices address conflict between anti-SLAPP law, state constitution
Colorado lawmakers in 2019 created a mechanism to quickly dispose of lawsuits over conduct that implicates a person's First Amendment rights, specifically the rights to free speech and to petition the...
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:19 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
The Colorado Supreme Court may intervene in 4 cases about:
-testimony contextualizing parent-child violence
-whether a judge should've accepted a jury's partial acquittal verdict
-eminent domain for a water pipeline
-a mental health eval for a fender-bender
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/17/c...
Colorado Supreme Court signals intervention in 4 ongoing cases
The Colorado Supreme Court signaled recently that it may intervene in four cases in the trial courts, two of which are criminal and two are civil.
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Reposted by Michael Karlik
kylec.bsky.social
We’ve talked about how we in the media normalize (even incentivize) aberrant behavior by public figures who make it their brand.

But just imagine if an official in your city or town had told a female reporter asking about a sex abuse scandal, “Quiet, piggy.” Headlines for days.
davidleavitt.bsky.social David Leavitt @davidleavitt.bsky.social · 7d
When asked on Air Force One if there was anything "incriminating" in the Epstein emails, Trump pointed a finger at the female reporter's face and said “Quiet. Quiet, Piggy.”
November 18, 2025 at 4:03 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
NEW: Justice Melissa Hart hasn’t participated in the Colorado Supreme Court’s case considerations for the third week in a row. She’s now acknowledged “family and personal health” reasons, but it’s unclear what’s going on and whether cases are being affected:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/17/j...
November 18, 2025 at 12:39 AM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
A Denver police officer deleted his body cam video of a vehicle search, apparently not realizing it might be important to the owner's later criminal prosecution. A trial judge sanctioned the DA's office, but the Court of Appeals disagreed with her punishment:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/14/a...
Appeals court reinstates felony charge, reverses Denver judge's sanction on prosecution
Colorado's second-highest court ordered a Denver judge on Thursday to reinstate a defendant's felony charge, finding she improperly reduced the severity as a sanction for an officer's deletion of his ...
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Reposted by Michael Karlik
bgrueskin.bsky.social
Here’s a story for every national news outlet:

In N.C., churchgoers are literally running into the woods as federal agents descend on the property.

“Inside the church, women and children sobbed as they wondered whether their loved ones had been taken.”

www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politic...
6d Listen to this article Congregants of an east Charlotte church scattered into the woods Saturday when masked federal agents arrived and detained one of their members, according to witnesses. About 15 to 20 church members were doing yard work on the property off Albemarle Road while their children played games and their spouses cooked meals. Agents parked just outside a closed gate leading to the church parking lot and ran into the yard, said the pastor, who did not want to identify himself or his church. The agents asked no questions and showed no identification before taking one man away, whose wife and child were inside at the time, the pastor said. They attempted to grab others, too. "Right now, everybody is scared. Everybody," he said. "One of these guys with immigration, he say he was going to arrest one of the other guys in the church. He pushed him." Inside the church, women and children sobbed as they wondered whether their loved ones had been taken. Some yard workers fled into the surrounding woods when officials arrived, including 15-year-old Miguel Vazquez.
November 16, 2025 at 4:38 AM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
Judge Ted Tow will be the next chief judge of Colorado's Court of Appeals, beginning next summer. Fun fact: In one opinion, he chewed out an attorney who characterized female opposing counsel as "hysterical":
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/13/t...
Ted Tow appointed as next Court of Appeals chief judge
Judge Ted C. Tow III will be the next chief judge of Colorado's second-highest court, the judicial branch announced on Thursday.
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:35 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
After hearing that the rules were actually stymieing legal representation and being used as a weapon by attorneys, the Colorado Supreme Court has loosened the restraints on what licensed legal paraprofessionals can do to represent domestic relations clients:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/12/c...
Colorado Supreme Court addresses 'weaponization' of paraprofessional program by loosening rules
The Colorado Supreme Court recently revised the rules governing the state's relatively new legal paraprofessional program after hearing complaints that procedural barriers were preventing adequate rep...
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:31 PM
michaelkarlik.bsky.social
The Colorado Supreme Court has adopted new rules governing magistrates, which one appellate judge called a "labyrinth" years ago. The big change was a standardization for how magistrate orders are appealed. Now, all appeals will first go to a district judge:
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/12/c...
Colorado justices approve changes to rules governing magistrates' decisions
The Colorado Supreme Court recently approved a set of revisions to the rules governing magistrates, which judges have long recognized as confusing.
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:29 PM