Author: Julia Cardi
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State task force to scrutinize Colorado’s mandatory reporting law following 7-year-old Olivia Gant’s death
The 2017 death of a 7-year-old girl prompted the creation of a statewide task force to scrutinize the state’s mandatory reporting laws on suspected child abuse. The new task force met this week for the first time. It plans to meet 13 times over the next two years and produce a report for the legislature…
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Investigation clears three Louisville police officers for fatal October shooting
An investigation by Boulder authorities cleared three Louisville police officers for the fatal shooting of a man in October who threatened them with a knife after allegedly choking his wife and injuring himself. Four officers responded to a call early in the morning on Oct. 23 from a woman who reported that her husband, Lynn…
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Al Gardner jumps into Denver mayor’s race; 24 candidates now vying for the seat
Al Gardner, an information technology professional who has sat on city boards and commissions, jumped into the race for Denver mayor this week. His candidacy brings the total number vying for the seat in next year’s election to 24. Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock is term limited after serving almost three terms, and 12 years…
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Judge declines to throw out federal lawsuit over conduct of Denver police during 2020 protests
A new federal lawsuit over the conduct of Denver police during the first days of the 2020 protests sparked by George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis has survived an attempt to dismiss. Mercii Thomas says officers shot her with kinetic impact projectiles while she protested peacefully, knocking her out and causing a concussion. In May she…
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Lisabeth Castle chosen as Denver’s next independent monitor
Denver’s Citizen Oversight Board chose local defense attorney Lisabeth Castle to head the Office of the Independent Monitor. The office serves as the watchdog body for Denver’s law enforcement agencies. It monitors investigations of Denver’s safety officers, makes recommendations about discipline and policy to the city’s manager of safety and monitors investigations of citizen complaints…
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ACLU sues Denver police detective over SWAT raid of Montbello home
The ACLU of Colorado sued a Denver police detective over a January SWAT raid of a 77-year-old woman’s home in Montbello, which the organization contends was baseless. A tactical team searched Ruby Johnson’s home on Jan. 4 as part of an investigation of a truck stolen from the parking garage of the Hyatt in Denver.…
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Denver voters reject landlord property tax, approve six other ballot measures in November midterms
The results of Denver’s midterm elections have been certified. Among ballot questions, Denver voters approved shifting responsibility for sidewalk maintenance from homeowners to the city and a requirement for multifamily residences, non-residential establishments and food waste producers to offer recycling services. Voters rejected a property tax for landlords to fund representation for tenants in eviction matters. Denver…
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Denver’s law enforcement watchdog candidates meet the public: ‘The civil rights issue of our time’
Denver is set to choose between a defense attorney, and a former prosecutor and police officer, for the city’s next top law enforcement watchdog. In a public forum with community stakeholder groups Tuesday night, the candidates said they want to see Denver’s Independent Monitor’s Office communicate better with the public about its work and have…
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Denver City Council approves $65,000 settlement for activist’s 2018 arrest
Denver’s City Council approved paying $65,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by activist Eric Brandt stemming from a 2018 arrest on the 16th Street Mall. On the day of a court appearance in September 2018 for two other activists who had been arrested for accusations of disturbing the peace, Brandt walked down the mall, protesting…
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Gender identity of suspect in Club Q shooting scrambles narrative
When a court filing last week revealed the person arrested in connection with killing five people at Club Q identifies as nonbinary and uses “they/them” pronouns, the public got its first indication that the suspect identified as a member of the LGBTQI+ community, scrambling the prevailing narrative around the attack. It also prompted the question: If…