Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs, when not poring over briefs or cross-examining lawyers from the bench, has another calling: poetry.
Hobbs, a former water and environmental lawyer, has been at it for more than 30 years. Last year, he published a collection of 218 water poems titled “Colorado: Mother of Rivers.”
Hobbs has now entered his verse in the Colorado Lawyer publication’s first ever poetry contest. More than 175 would-be bards from around the state submitted entries for the contest, which will be judged by some of Colorado’s own poets, including Denver’s 2006 poet laureate, Chris Ransick.
Hobbs writes four to five poems a week, sometimes grabbing his inspiration on the run while driving over a mountain pass or speaking to an audience about the environment.
The ardent response to the poetry contest shows that lawyers want to use the right side of their brain, Hobbs quipped. “In a profession supposedly dedicated to parsing words, the contest is calling on the greater side of the lawyer,” he chuckled, noting that the left side of the brain is the detail side while the right side is the “bigger picture.” Who would have thought …
Jury finishes Hanna probe
A Jefferson County grand jury investigating possible criminal wrongdoing by former state Sen. Deanna Hanna has completed its deliberations.
Hanna resigned her Senate seat in March amid an ethics probe by her legislative colleagues into a 2005 letter she wrote requesting $1,400 in “reparations” from the Colorado Association of Realtors. The group had contributed money to her opponent in 2004.
The Senate dropped the ethics probe, but Jeffco District Attorney Scott Storey pursued an inquiry into whether Hanna committed a crime. The results of the grand jury’s deliberations could be released as early as this week.
Hizzoner playing favorites?
Helen Thorpe is co-hosting a fundraising bash for 7th Congressional District candidate Peggy Lamm this Wednesday. We can’t help but wonder if that means Thorpe’s hubby, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, is taking sides in what’s shaping up as one of the most competitive congressional races in the country. Lamm, a former state representative, is squaring off in the Aug. 8 Democratic primary against former state Sen. Ed Perlmutter and businessman Herb Rubenstein. Lamm submitted petitions to the secretary of state last week to get her name on the ballot.
The fundraiser will be held at the downtown Denver loft of the other co-host, real estate mogul Buck Blessing. Attendees will be asked to contribute between $100 and $250. Asked whether hizzoner the mayor might attend, Lamm’s campaign manager Jim Merlino said, “Gee, I don’t know.”
By the way, Congressman John Salazar‘s office says he has not endorsed any candidate in the 7th CD primary. There is a photo of Salazar and Lamm featured prominently on Lamm’s campaign website.
Secretary combs petitions
Secretary of State Gigi Dennis‘ election staff is so swamped with petitions from candidates hoping to make the November ballot that she’s hired 35 temporary staffers to help out. SOS spokeswoman Dana Williams said the staff planned to work through the Memorial Day weekend scrutinizing the 65,000 or so signatures.
While a congressional candidate needs just 1,000 signatures and a gubernatorial candidate needs 10,500, the candidates typically collect at least twice the required number in order to overcome any ineligibles. For initiative petitions, only a sampling of the required signatures are checked. For candidate petitions, Williams said, signatures have to be checked line by line.
Dennis has until June 9 to notify candidates of the results. People with questions about signatures can file protests and make their cases in formal hearings before then.
Julia C. Martinez (jmartinez@denverpost.com) is a member of The Denver Post editorial board.
