Five Star Resort Weekend For Federal Judge

With officials from the Judicial Branch demanding that Congress end across the board budget cuts from the sequester, federal judges from the Tenth Circuit start to gather today for a judicial conference at a "five star" Colorado resort that features three golf courses and a "scenic mountain backdrop."

The Tenth Circuit gathering at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs was postponed from a year ago because of budget concerns, but court officials argue canceling the gathering entirely would have actually cost taxpayers money.

"We again considered canceling the conference when the sequester occurred, but the hotel cancellation fees made it more cost-effective to proceed," said Tenth Circuit Executive David Tighe in an email.

Asked about costs, Tighe provided a basic rundown, saying that 99 federal judges attended the last Tenth Circuit gathering, which was also at the Broadmoor.

"The primary cost of judicial conferences is judges' travel and lodging, and in 2010, that totaled approximately $191,000," Tighe said. The Tenth Circuit covers federal judges in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.

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