Fraternal Order of Police, Colorado Lodge 27 v. City & County of Denver

926 P.2d 582, 1996 Colo. LEXIS 631, 1996 WL 653847
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedNovember 12, 1996
Docket95SC698
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 926 P.2d 582 (Fraternal Order of Police, Colorado Lodge 27 v. City & County of Denver) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fraternal Order of Police, Colorado Lodge 27 v. City & County of Denver, 926 P.2d 582, 1996 Colo. LEXIS 631, 1996 WL 653847 (Colo. 1996).

Opinions

Justice SCOTT

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

Today, we must decide whether a statutory enactment mandating statewide training and certification of peace officers can impose its requirements upon deputy sheriffs employed by the City and County of Denver, a home rule city, when, under our constitution, Denver is granted the authority to control the qualifications, powers, and duties of its deputy sheriffs.1 Because we conclude (1) that [585]*585the Colorado Constitution grants Denver, as a home rule city, authority over the qualifications of its deputy sheriffs and (2) that the state’s interest in public safety does not, in light of the limited duties and responsibilities of Denver deputy sheriffs, outweigh the exercise of Denver’s authority created by our constitution, we hold that the legislative enactment cannot impose its requirements upon Denver’s deputy sheriffs. However, while we affirm the judgment of the court of appeals, we do so on a rationale different from that court and in accordance with the views expressed here.

I.

In 1992, the Colorado General Assembly enacted the Peace Officers Standards and Training Act (POST Act) to provide uniform training and certification for peace officers entrusted with protecting the safety of the citizens of this state. Colo. Sess. Laws 1992, eh. 167, §§ 24-31-301 to -306, at 1091-96 (amended without relevant substantive changes and codified at sections 24-31-301 to -307, 10A C.R.S. (1996 Supp.)). The POST Act also created the Peace Officers Standards and Training Board (POST Board) to establish certification standards and to certify qualified peace officers. Colo. Sess. Laws 1992, ch. 167, §§ 24-31-302, 303, at 1093 (codified at sections 24-31-302, 303).

At all times relevant here, the POST Act required certification for peace officers throughout the state. Colo. Sess. Laws 1992, eh. 167, § 24-31-306, at 1095 (repealed by section 24-31-306(l)(b)).2 Under the POST Act, a “peace officer” includes any “deputy sheriff other than one appointed with authority only to receive and serve summons and civil process ... [who] is employed by the state or a city, city and county, town, judicial district, or county within this state.” Colo. Sess. Laws 1992, eh. 167, § 24r-31-301(5), at 1092.3 Despite these statutory provisions, Respondent, the City and County of Denver (Denver), did not require POST certification for its deputy sheriffs.

In June 1992, the POST Board wrote a letter to Denver expressing its concern that Denver deputy sheriffs were not being certified as peace officers. Denver responded that the issue had been previously litigated,4 and that its deputy sheriffs were not required to be certified under the POST Act because they do not engage in routine law enforcement duties. As a result, the petitioners, Fraternal Order of Police of Colorado Lodge # 27, Fraternal Order of Police of Colorado State Lodge, and Larry Nead (collectively F.O.P.), filed this civil action seeking a declaratory judgment that, under the 1992 version of the POST Act, Denver deputy sheriffs are entitled to the minimum training prescribed by the POST Board and must receive state certification in accordance with POST Board standards.

[586]*586The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment. F.O.P. argued that the POST Act was applicable to the City and County of Denver because the training and certification of Denver deputy sheriffs is a matter of statewide concern. Denver asserted that, as a home rule municipality defined by Article XX, Section 6, of the Colorado Constitution, its authority arises from its city charter and does not derive from state statutes and, therefore, it had the authority to establish standards and training for its deputy sheriffs. Indeed, the record reveals that the training division of the Denver Sheriff Department conducts an extensive, full-time training program for its deputy sheriffs, which lasts for 10-16 weeks depending on the particular assignment of each deputy.5 The trial court, however, relying on City & County of Denver v. State, 788 P.2d 764 (Colo. 1990) [hereinafter Denver v. State], determined that a substantial state interest exists in protecting the public from inadequately trained peace officers and, therefore, granted F.O.P.’s motion for summary judgment and denied Denver’s motion.

On appeal, the court of appeals concluded that the POST Act was not applicable to Denver, a home rule city, because Article XX, Section 2, of the Colorado Constitution specifically grants to Denver the authority to control the qualifications, as well as the powers, duties, and terms or tenure, of its deputy sheriffs. Fraternal Order of Police, 914 P.2d at 487-88. Although it agreed with the trial court that the statute and the constitution were in direct conflict, the court of appeals nevertheless reasoned that when such a conflict arises, the constitution is the paramount law. Id. at 487 (citing Passarelli v. Schoettler, 742 P.2d 867 (Colo.1987)). Thus, the court of appeals reversed the trial court and concluded that Denver’s authority under the Colorado Constitution to control the qualifications of its officers, including deputy sheriffs, is absolute and cannot be infringed by state statute. Id. at 488. We do not adopt the rationale of the court of appeals; however, we affirm its judgment on different grounds set forth below.

II.

F.O.P. argues that the principles of Denver v. State are controlling in a case such as this, where a state statute and a home rule provision seek to govern the same conduct and, therefore, the court of appeals’ reliance on Passarelli v. Schoettler was misplaced. We agree. Nonetheless, applying the principles announced in Denver v. State, we do not reach the result sought by F.O.P. and, thus, affirm.

A.

Denver is a home rule city existing pursuant to Article XX of the Colorado Constitution. Robertson v. City & County of Denver, 874 P.2d 325, 350 (Colo.1994) (Erickson, J., dissenting). Article XX, Section 6, adopted by the voters in 1912, granted “home rule” powers to municipalities choosing to operate under its provisions and, in doing so, altered the basic relationship of such municipalities to the state. See Denver v. State, 788 P.2d at 766.6 That provision provides in pertinent part:

Home rule for cities and towns. The people of each city or town of this state [587]*587... are hereby vested with, and they shall always have, power to make, amend, add to or replace the charter of said city or town, which shall be its organic law and extend to all its local and municipal matters.
Such charter and the ordinances made pursuant thereto in such matters shall supersede within the territorial limits and other jurisdiction of said city or town any law of the state in conflict therewith.
[[Image here]]
... [S]uch city or town, and the citizens thereof, shall have the powers set out in sections 1, 4 and 5

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

v. City & Cty. of Denver
2019 COA 8 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 2019)
City of Longmont v. Colorado Oil and Gas Ass'n
2016 CO 29 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2016)
City of Longmont Colorado v. Colorado Oil & Gas Ass'n
2016 CO 29 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2016)
Ryals v. City of Englewood
2016 CO 8 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2016)
Stephen Brett Ryals v. City of Englewood.
2016 CO 8 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2016)
City & County of Denver v. Industrial Claim Appeals Office
2014 COA 62 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 2014)
Webb v. City of Black Hawk
2013 CO 9 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2013)
In Re the City of Colorado Springs
2012 COA 55 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 2012)
Lobato v. State
216 P.3d 29 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 2008)
Clark-Wine v. City of Colorado Springs
556 F. Supp. 2d 1238 (D. Colorado, 2008)
Colorado Mining Ass'n v. Board of County Commissioners
170 P.3d 749 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 2007)
City of Florence v. Pepper
145 P.3d 654 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2006)
No.
Colorado Attorney General Reports, 2003
City of Commerce City v. State
40 P.3d 1273 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2002)
Town of Telluride v. Lot Thirty-Four Venture, L.L.C.
3 P.3d 30 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 2000)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
926 P.2d 582, 1996 Colo. LEXIS 631, 1996 WL 653847, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fraternal-order-of-police-colorado-lodge-27-v-city-county-of-denver-colo-1996.