Author: Julia Cardi
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Primary races for sheriff in Colorado counties yield new faces
Several Front Range counties will have new faces in their sheriff’s offices after Tuesday’s primary elections, including potentially a candidate in Adams County who defeated the incumbent sheriff by a wide margin. Gene Claps, a former employee of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, defeated Sheriff Rick Reigenborn by nearly 13 points in the Democratic primary,…
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Denver’s cost defending 2020 protest case nears $500,000
Defending the lawsuit brought by a dozen people over how Denver police responded to the early days of the 2020 George Floyd protests has cost the city nearly $467,000, records show. The law firm Hall & Evans has billed Denver a total of $466,719.04 between February 2021 and March 2022, a summary of invoices provided…
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Aurora proposal for mandated sentences for car thefts draws heated City Council debate
Members of Aurora City Council agree on the urgency of the need to combat rising car thefts. What to do, and whether harsher penalties work as deterrents, is where members remain divided. City Council approved a resolution Monday night directing city staff to develop a “comprehensive” plan for addressing motor vehicle thefts, including reviewing sentences…
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2020 protesters’ attorneys to city’s request for new trial: ‘Lack of remorse’ is palpable
The group of protesters awarded nearly $14 million over the way police reacted to the protests that erupted in Denver in 2020 following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis opposes the city’s request for the trial judge to re-scrutinize certain legal issues in the case, according to court filings. The city requested three potential…
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Aurora poised to pass what could be the toughest response to car theft in the state
With a new proposal requiring at least 60 days in jail for car theft, Aurora is poised to pass what could be the toughest response to the crime in the state by adopting an ordinance that imposes mandatory minimum sentences. At-large Councilmember Dustin Zvonek presented his proposal Thursday to City Council’s safety committee, which he…
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‘Something’s got to give’: Aurora proposal for mandatory sentences for car thefts takes first step
With a new proposal requiring at least 60 days in jail for car theft, Aurora is poised to pass what could be the toughest response to the crime in the state by adopting an ordinance that imposes mandatory minimum sentences. At-large Councilmember Dustin Zvonek presented his proposal Thursday to City Council’s safety committee, which he…
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Councilman pursues ordinance to make Aurora ‘most punitive city’ in Colorado to combat car thefts
The chair of Aurora City Council’s public safety committee plans to introduce a proposed ordinance next week for mandatory minimum sentences for auto theft in a move he says is intended to make Aurora’s ordinances the “most punitive” in Colorado in the hopes of combating the spiraling crime. The proposal includes a mandatory jail sentence from 60 days…
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Denver DA launches conviction review unit
To ensure fairness in its work and build public trust in the justice system, the Denver District Attorney’s Office has officially launched a conviction review unit. “If the wrong person is convicted, the only beneficiary of that situation is the true offender,” District Attorney Beth McCann said in a news conference Wednesday. McCann said for…
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Denver judge overturns revocation of Pinkerton’s security employer license tied to fatal rally shooting
A Denver district court judge has overturned the revocation of Pinkerton Consulting and Investigations’ license as a private security guard employer. The city’s Department of Excise and Licenses revoked it in June 2021 following a fatal shooting by an unlicensed security guard. A hearing officer had recommended a six-month suspension of the company’s license, but…
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Area car thefts more than double between 2019, 2021
Lakewood police Cmdr. Mike Greenwell said he recently spoke with a man who said he regularly steals between one and 10 cars a day until he finds one he likes. He drives it until he crashes it, it’s found or he’s arrested. Then he starts the cycle again. This pattern is part of a sharp…