Four liberal justices in Colorado have made a landmark ruling that former President Donald Trump would not be allowed to appear on the 2024 presidential ballot in the state.
This decision was backed by all four Democrat-appointed justices on the Colorado Supreme Court, three of whom graduated from Ivy League universities—one of them was wrongfully accused of harassment and discrimination in the past. The fourth justice on the panel was the first Latina and openly gay woman to serve on Colorado’s highest court.
Their ruling has made history as the first time in which the Fourteenth Amendment’s Section 3 has been used to disqualify an insurrectionist from running for office. This amendment disqualifies individuals who have engaged in rebellion against the country from holding public office. The justices said that they had “little difficulty” in determining that the events of January 6th constituted an insurrection and that Donald Trump had “engaged” in the alleged rebellion.
The ruling came as a result of a lawsuit filed by a group of Colorado voters who argued that Trump’s involvement in the Capitol riots disqualified him from being eligible to run for president in Colorado. The case went all the way up to the Colorado Supreme Court, where the four justices unanimously agreed that Trump’s actions on January 6th meant that he was unfit to be a candidate in the state.
The decision by the Colorado Supreme Court is expected to have far-reaching consequences, as it sets a precedent for other states to follow. If other state courts follow Colorado’s lead, it could effectively prevent Trump from appearing on the ballot in the 2024 presidential elections.
Trump’s supporters have criticized the decision, arguing that it is politically motivated and an attempt to silence the former president and his supporters. Some legal experts say that this ruling may be challenged in federal court, where it will face a tougher legal test.
Regardless of the outcome, this ruling shows that the events of January 6th continue to have a lasting impact on the political landscape in the United States. It also highlights the increasingly polarized nature of the country’s political climate, and the ways in which courts are being used by both sides to advance their agendas.