Advocates call for changes to Colorado’s family court system

DENVER (KDVR) — State lawmakers and families with lived experience rallied outside the Colorado Supreme Court on Thursday demanding change to family courts.

Lawmakers said they are worried that new laws surrounding family courts are not being followed. Families say their lives are being ruined because of it.

“Enough is enough! Enough is enough! Enough is enough!” advocates chanted outside the Colorado Supreme Court.

Lawmakers and families are fed up, calling for courts to follow newly passed laws designed to keep children safe from their alleged abusers.

“The latest one was House Bill 1350 , which said unequivocally that we need to take a hard look at forced reunification, which is this idea that children should be forced into a relationship with an abuser,” said state Rep. Meg Froelich, main sponsor of that bill and several others aimed at addressing the problem.

Advocates said the practice known as family reunification allows parents who have been charged with domestic violence to visit children, cutting off access to a trusted caregiver despite lawmakers passing a law last year to stop that from happening. They delivered letters to Colorado’s newest Supreme Court chief justice on Thursday in an effort to get her to ensure the law is upheld.

Mother faces charges of violating court order

Advocates rallied for a mother currently facing charges of violating a court order in what she said was an effort to protect her children from her ex-husband, who has been charged with sexual assault .

“I was charged with contempt and I have a hearing on Sep. 12 in Larimer County, and I have requested that the judge revisit that charge for contempt. He has refused,” said Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins.

She maintains she was not trying to disobey court orders and was trying to comply.

“The charge came out of the concern that I raised for my children’s welfare and their wellbeing. And I objected to the results that were happening,” Pickrel-Hawkins said.

Even with the group of new laws passed over the last two years, families with bad experiences with the courts said more reforms need to happen soon.

“I do not believe that the bill ( House Bill 24-1350 ) gives enough training to those specific individuals. It’s 20 hours of training when really what calls for proper training and understanding for what statistics show needs 200 hours. Our judges need to be informed about this as well,” said Noella Elias, another mother who said she’s had a bad experience with the family court system; specifically highlighting training for child family investigators and parental responsibility evaluators.

Colorado’s chief justice responds

Colorado Chief Justice Monica Márquez reacted to the letters after receiving them Thursday evening.

“I am reviewing the letter and plan to follow up personally with Representative Froelich soon,” Márquez said. “We care deeply about the welfare and safety of all who come to our courts, and I acknowledge the pain and frustration of families who have been through contentious custody battles. The recommendations coming from the HB23-1108 task force are substantive and meaningful. We are committed to implementing those recommendations, and we will meet with the task force members to report on our progress and to seek additional input in prioritizing our work.”

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