Amendment I, which allows Colorado judges to deny bail for anyone charged with first-degree murder, is approved

Judges in Colorado can't currently deny bail to people who are charged with first-degree murder "when proof is evident or presumption is great." But Amendment I, which was passed by voters on election night, will give judges that power.

The measure was placed on the ballot by the Colorado legislature. Lawmakers who voted for it said that part of the goal was to end the practice of judges setting bail amounts excessively high in such first-degree murder cases. They said that practice could prove to give an unfair advantage to defendants who are very wealthy.

Amendment I was one of three statewide ballot measures that dealt with criminal justice that was on this year's ballot in the general election. Proposition 128 and 130 were the other two.