LAW WEEK COLORADO
Denver District Judge William Hood, who was randomly assigned to hear Colorado congressional redistricting lawsuits filed Tuesday by Republicans and Democrats, once was a law-firm colleague of the lead attorney for the Democratic side.
Before his appointment to the Denver bench in 2007, Hood worked at Isaacson Rosenbaum, the firm that until recently employed Democratic Party lawyer Mark Grueskin.
Asked about a possible conflict between himself and the judge, Grueskin said, “Even before you get to the issue that he and I were formerly colleagues, he may have a docket that’s full.”
Grueskin explained that the redistricting case must be decided well before the Feb. 7 caucuses, and “typically there will be some reallocation if necessary because not every judge’s docket would accommodate that.”
The two sides in the redistricting battle filed their lawsuits May 10 when it became apparent that the Colorado Legislature would be able to successfully pass a bill that would adjust the districts to accommodate population shifts. The governor could call a special session to reconsider the redistricting legislation, but that’s considered unlikely. A final decision on the map could land on the docket of the Colorado Supreme Court.
