A Denver attorney who specializes in disability discrimination litigation, has found himself in the shoes of the very people he represents.
Spencer Kontnik is suing the Denver County Court for excluding him from jury service because he is deaf.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Denver District Court, alleges discrimination against a qualified juror with a disability and claims the court violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, which states people with disabilities must not be excluded from participating in services, programs or activities provided by a public entity or state agency. A court is a public entity.
Kontnik and the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, a nonprofit advocating for disability rights statewide, are asking the Denver County Court to stop violating the law and ensure prospective jurors with disabilities do not experience discrimination by implementing new policies.
“Individuals with disabilities should be valued and under Colorado law, frankly, do have the right to be treated the same as others,” Kontnik said by phone Monday afternoon.
Read the rest at https://coloradosun.com/2022/09/13/denver-disability-discrimination.
Other links of interest – https://www.ccdconline.org/cases/kontnik-et-al-v-denver-county-court-2022cv032599 or http://www.deafnewstoday.com/post/excluded-from-jury-duty-deaf-lawyer-sues-the-court.