Author: Julia Cardi
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Denver Public Schools to bring police officers back to schools in light of East High shooting
In light of yet another shooting at East High School, the topic of school resource officers from Denver police in schools again moved front and center. In June 2020, the Denver School Board unanimously voted to cut ties with Denver Police, following the murder of George Floyd. But Denver Superintendent Alex Marrero told the Denver…
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‘Scared, angry, tired of this’: Denver East High School students weary as another shooting rocks school
Students at Denver East High School are processing grief, anger and fear on Wednesday after another shooting has sent a shockwave through the school, just a few weeks after they marched to the Capitol to plead for action from legislators. They had organized the rally earlier in March after Luis Garcia, a student on the…
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Gun manufacturer Ruger sued by son of King Soopers mass shooting victim
The son of one Boulder mass shooting victim filed a lawsuit against Sturm, Ruger & Co., the maker of the pistol used in the March 2021 assault in the city’s south-side King Soopers that killed 10 people. Nathaniel Getz, the son of 59-year-old Suzanne Fountain, alleges in the new case that Ruger used deceptive marketing…
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Prosecutors can’t use own psychological expert for accused King Soopers shooter, Boulder judge rules
A Boulder judge ruled prosecutors can’t use an expert they chose to conduct a neuropsychological evaluation on the accused King Soopers shooter. They wanted the expert to help determine whether the suspect’s lack of participation in mental health treatment is a conscious choice or a manifestation of symptoms of his illness. In making that finding,…
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Social media companies provide easy access to fentanyl, Colorado AG report shows
Crackdown by social media companies on the flow of fentanyl and other drugs through their platforms has been inconsistent, exacerbated by insufficient legislation and other public policies to regulate social media, according to a new report from Attorney General Phil Weiser. Getting access to drugs through social media has become almost as easy as ordering…
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Class-action suit filed against parental evaluator who said he disbelieves 90% of domestic violence allegations
A parental evaluator already under fire for saying he disbelieves 90% of the domestic violence allegations he hears in custody cases now faces new legal woes with the filing of a lawsuit that alleges his evaluations are extremely biased and favor abusive parents. Colorado Watch logo-new (copy) The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Boulder County District…
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Colorado lawmakers renew debate about sites allowing drug use under supervision
Colorado lawmakers have renewed deliberations on a proposal to allow sites for people to use drugs under supervision in order to do it more safely and prevent overdoses, backers say. The Legislature’s discussion largely mirrors the talking points of five years ago, when lawmakers last brought a bill to allow such a center in Denver.…
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Accused Boulder supermarket shooter diagnosed with schizophrenia, court papers show
The man accused in the 2021 mass shooting at a King Soopers in Boulder has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, a recent court filing confirmed. Defense attorneys for Ahmad Alissa made an objection in a Feb. 16 filing to a request by prosecutors for a forensic neuropsychological exam of the defendant. Prosecutors made the request early…
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ACLU of Colorado names Tim Macdonald as legal director
The ACLU of Colorado has chosen its first new legal director in nearly 30 years. Tim Macdonald, who led a landmark trial last year over Denver police’s use of force during the 2020 George Floyd protests, will replace retiring Mark Silverstein. Macdonald comes to the ACLU from a role as head of the Denver office…
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Department of Human Services seeks to increase its capacity for youth in detention
The Department of Human Services has asked for an increase in its capacity to hold kids in pretrial detention in the Division of Youth Services, with a budget request of more than $3 million starting in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. But the request has caused some consternation, since the Colorado legislature voted to lower the…