This podcast covers case summaries distributed on 11/21/2025

Cases:

People v. Montoya, 2025COA89 (November 19, 2025); the trial court violated Montoya's Sixth Amendment right to a public trial by excluding all spectators from physically attending proceedings. Also, the evidence was sufficient to establish barricading under the failure to leave the premises statute.

UNPUBLISHED People v. Thompson, 22CA1586 (November 20, 2025); in a road rage shooting case, the trial court erred by instructing the jury on the initial aggressor exception to self-defense where the evidence did not support the instruction.

U.S. v. Huerta, 25-1050 (10th Cir. Oct. 29, 2025); the police lacked reasonable suspicion to believe Huerta was armed and dangerous when they seized and searched him.

United States v. Hebert, No. 24-7030 (10th Cir. November 18, 2025); the Tenth Circuit applied a looser preservation rule for sufficiency of the evidence challenges and recognized the difficulty the government faces in proving a negative.

State v. Nieves, 088683, 2025 WL 3236984 (N.J. Nov. 20, 2025); the New Jersey Supreme Court became the first in the U.S. to prohibit prosecutors from presenting expert testimony that shaking a baby can, on its own, cause injuries severe enough to justify child abuse charges.

Links:

People v. Montoya, 2025COA89 (November 20, 2025)

https://files.constantcontact.com/45bb5db5401/32046cbc-c0d9-4494-ab0f-69a38518ecdd.pdf?rdr=true

UNPUBLISHED People v. Thompson, 22CA1586

https://files.constantcontact.com/45bb5db5401/54216331-0b22-4b98-9b08-55ce5f4bbb42.pdf?rdr=true

U.S. v. Huerta, 25-1050 (10th Cir. Oct. 29, 2025)

https://files.constantcontact.com/45bb5db5401/b14ed2d6-9d6d-4449-b9e4-7294fdf408c6.pdf?rdr=true

United States v. Hebert, No. 24-7030 (10th Cir. November 18, 2025)

https://files.constantcontact.com/45bb5db5401/d1026d8e-778a-44ba-a134-309317e4c482.pdf?rdr=true

State v. Nieves, 088683, 2025 WL 3236984 (N.J. Nov. 20, 2025)

https://files.constantcontact.com/45bb5db5401/e5432f4c-7521-40c3-9be1-ae3840fbd0ae.docx?rdr=true

COA new citation policy

https://files.constantcontact.com/45bb5db5401/a24c84ee-fce0-4ce4-aec0-7587e70d054f.pdf?rdr=true

Victory Newsletter 45 of 2025

https://files.constantcontact.com/45bb5db5401/9db4e4cd-b0ff-42f5-9344-94df27d425f1.pdf?rdr=true

Victory Newsletter 46 of 2025

https://files.constantcontact.com/45bb5db5401/ddb20f74-aea0-4453-9c23-c5dcecb91c0f.pdf?rdr=true

Contact Shawndell Irving here: Shawndell Irving

Music by Scott Holmes. Used under a Creative Commons license. Download today's music at: http://freemusicarchive.org/

NOTE regarding unpublished Colorado Court of Appeals opinions: Please remember the Court of Appeals Policy states that the citation of unpublished opinions in the Court of Appeals is forbidden, with limited exceptions. Copies of unpublished opinions are provided for private use and are not to be included in an electronic database or otherwise published. Also, please note that you are free to cite unpublished cases in the district court for whatever persuasive value the judge may give them. Patterson v. James, 2018 COA 173, ¶¶ 40-43. You may request unpublished cases from the COA at http://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/Court_Of_Appeals/Opinion_Request.cfm