The shocking Colorado Supreme Court decision to use the 14th Amendment to kick Donald Trump off the ballot wasn’t just a partisan 4-3 decision by Democratic judges.
It was four more liberal justices from a Colorado Supreme Court which is comprised of judges all appointed by Democratic governors, who voted that Trump was not eligible to be on the state’s ballot.
This is the first time the 14th Amendment, which bars anyone who has participated in an insurrection from running for office, has been used ti disqualify a presidential candidate.
The ruling will quickly be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Justices Richard L. Gabriel, Melissa Hart, Monica Márquez and William W. Hood III were the four Democratic justices who voted in favor of taking Trump off the ballot. They said they had “little difficulty” in finding that Trump did “engage” in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot and has not trouble deeming the events as an insurrection.
“A majority of the court holds that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment,” the court wrote in a 133-page decision.
The three justices who dissented include Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright, along with Justices Maria E. Berkenkotter and Carlos Samour. Boatright said that constitutional questions contain too much complexity to be determined at a state court level. Berkenkotter wrote a separate dissenting opinion.
The entirety of the Colorado Supreme Court is Democratic appointees.
Trump has dubbed his disqualification from the Colorado primary ballot, as “ELECTION INTERFERENCE” and his legal team has indicated that they will be submitting a speedy appeal of the decision.
“The Colorado Supreme Court issued a completely flawed decision tonight and we will swiftly file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court and a concurrent request for a stay of this deeply undemocratic decision,” Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump said in a statement.
Colorado’s ruling comes after Trump has won other challenges to his ballot eligibility in Minnesota, Michigan and New Hampshire.
