Court Opinion

ID: 9569255
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:11:58.872993+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:51:37.838054
License: Public Domain

Justice SCOTT
specially concurring:
I fully agree with the majority’s conclusion that Aristedes Zavaras and the Department of Corrections (DOC) should be directed “to comply immediately with the Denver District Court’s orders.” Maj. op. at 603. I write separately, however, because I believe a more efficient resolution of this matter is available to us. Rather than exercising this court’s superintending authority pursuant to C.A.R. 21, I would have immediately transferred the petition to the trial court with *604instructions that it treat the petition as a motion asking the trial court to enforce its orders by the issuance of an order to show cause why Zavaras and the DOC should not be held in contempt.
As the majority recognizes, when an executive officer fails to comply with the order of a trial court, the trial court has the power to enforce its own order. See Maj. op. at 602; see also Bullard v. Department of Corrections, 949 P.2d 999 (Colo.1997); State v. Peña, 911 P.2d 48 (Colo.1996). Specifically, the trial court can direct the official to show cause why he or she should not be held in contempt, and if the official continues to refuse to comply, the full range of contempt sanctions are available to compel obedience to the court’s order. See Bullard, 949 P.2d at 1001; Peña, 911 P.2d at 56; People v. Lockhart, 699 P.2d 1332, 1336 (Colo.1985).
While this court certainly has the authority to issue a writ of mandamus, the more expeditious course would have been to transfer the case back to the district court rather than to proceed through our C.A.R. 21 procedures. As the majority notes, speedy relief is crucial because the petitioner would be released no later than April 9 even if the DOC’s position were sustained and he may be entitled to a much earlier discharge. If the petition had been transferred to the trial court in December 1997, when Meredith’s and the DOC’s briefs had been filed in this court, the trial court probably could have disposed of the matter within the next ten days. In light of the trial court’s fact finding capabilities, an attribute lacking in appellate courts, it could enforce or modify, as necessary, its orders in accordance with Meredith’s liberty interests. Hence, the petitioner could have been discharged as early as December of last year.
Moreover, because we resolve this dispute under C.A.R. 21, if the DOC fails to follow our order, this court will have to consume additional time in order to enforce the order, requiring the appointment of a special master to hold a hearing and to make factual findings in the form of a recommendation to us regarding the DOC’s compliance or lack thereof. I believe the delay in addressing the petitioner’s claims is unnecessary.
For this reason, I think the better practice would have been to transfer the case to the district court with instructions to take the necessary steps to enforce, or modify as appropriate,1 its orders of August 11 and September 18,1997, to the DOC.

. This may be especially efficient when the trial court has issued more than one order and "an ambiguity [exists] between the two ... orders.” Maj. op. at 600 n. 4.