Author: Christopher Osher
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Colorado judge finds “sea of unreliability” in cellphone mapping data used by police
Police and prosecutors in Colorado and throughout the nation are relying on a company’s cellphone location mapping data to help them convict criminal defendants, but a Larimer County judge’s recent ruling cast doubt on the technology when he barred its use in his courtroom after finding it unreliable and prone to error. The defense lawyer…
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Colorado parental evaluator’s 40-year career brought to end after complaints about sex videos, price gouging
Thomas Meehan had a 40-year career in the parenting evaluation industry that finally came to an end after a string of complaints that ranged from accusations of price gouging to obsessive focus on a woman’s sexual history with her husband. In September 2019, he agreed to permanently relinquish any license to work as a social…
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Colorado’s parenting evaluation industry profits as bitter child custody cases thrown into chaos
For Elizabeth, the moment still burns in her memory when the sexual trauma she suffered during her military service was thrown in her face during her children’s custody case. What was meant to be a seemingly straightforward evaluation of a 13-minute change in her kids’ commute time turned into a nightmarish scrutiny of her worst…
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Child-protective worker Robin Niceta failed to follow state regulations: Audit
A state audit concluded Robin Niceta’s child-protective work for the Arapahoe County Department of Human Services failed to follow state regulations and had deficient investigative practices. The audit recommended further investigation into the county’s oversight and supervision of its child-protective staff. Robin Niceta Seven complaints about Niceta’s performance and conduct “have been referred” for additional…
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$50 million lawsuit alleges fraud in child-protective cases resulting in children’s removal
An amended lawsuit filed against the Arapahoe County Department of Human Services on Tuesday details alleged constitutional violations on behalf of 26 individuals who contend their families were torn apart by child-protective workers they claim fabricated evidence and provided false sworn testimony. The lawsuit alleges that Arapahoe County workers regularly removed children from homes that…
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Colorado caseworker charged in retribution plot was key witness in 30 active child-protective cases, councilwoman says
Robin Niceta was a key child protective caseworker witness in 30 active investigations when she was arrested for allegedly falsely reporting that a vocal critic of the Aurora police chief had sexually abused her son, according to an Aurora councilwoman who is suing Niceta and the Arapahoe County Department of Human Services. Niceta is at…
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Colorado child protective caseworker made advances toward parents she was investigating for abuse: Lawsuit
Robin Niceta, the former Arapahoe County child protective worker charged criminally with falsely reporting that a critic of the former Aurora police chief sexually abused her son, made sexual advances toward parents and caretakers while investigating them for spurious child abuse allegations, a lawsuit filed on Wednesday states. The lawsuit alleges Niceta also sought to…
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Colorado child protective worker investigated for false claims about parents
The ex-partner of the former embattled Aurora police chief, already charged criminally with falsely reporting that a vocal critic of the chief sexually abused her son, now is under investigation by the FBI on new allegations of manipulating the child protective system where she worked to gain the upper hand in her own child custody…
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Corrections department bows to criticism and rescinds new no-crime charge policy for escapes from halfway houses
The Colorado Department of Corrections has rescinded a new policy barring parole officers from seeking criminal charges for escapes from community-corrections halfway houses after law enforcement officials, prosecutors and halfway house operators criticized the policy as jeopardizing public safety. State corrections officials reversed course at the end of Wednesday and reinstituted seeking criminal charges for…
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Colorado Springs man charged with attempted murder after being freed by parole error
Mikaele Poloa already was on parole when he walked out of the El Paso County jail, freed after posting a $4,000 bond while facing felony charges for allegedly attempting to rape a woman at gunpoint, stealing a car and committing a carjacking while armed with a handgun. In the weeks that followed his release, Poloa,…