Author: Julia Cardi
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Dean Williams, lightning rod for ‘normalization’ in Colorado’s correctional system, ends four-year tenure
A wide-sweeping experiment of social “normalization” in Colorado’s correctional system has an uncertain future after executive Director Dean Williams announced the end of his nearly four-year tenure. Williams is an outspoken advocate for rehabilitation in incarceration and looks to international practices as reform models. He expanded arts, mentorship and education programs, allowed inmates to travel…
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Gender identity of suspect in Club Q shooting scrambles narrative
When a court filing Tuesday 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 the…
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How the El Paso County District Attorney can keep arrest affidavit for Club Q suspect secret
The ability to take away a person’s freedom is one of the most serious powers held by a government. An arrest affidavit is a key document explaining to a judge — and the public — a law enforcement agency’s rationale for doing so. But an open records law in Colorado allows agencies broad discretion to withhold criminal justice records, and…
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Two finalists selected for Denver’s Office of the Independent Monitor leader
Denver’s Citizen Oversight Board announced two finalists to lead the city’s watchdog office for investigations of Denver’s safety officers, the Office of the Independent Monitor. A search committee responsible for screening and interviewing applicants has chosen Lisabeth Castle, a criminal defense attorney and former public defender, and Mary Opler, who does civilian oversight for the Sacramento…
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Republicans on course to win 3 out of 4 CU Board of Regents elections, net 0 seats | ELECTION NIGHT 2022
Unofficial election results show Republicans will fight to at least a draw, and appear on course to do better, in the four University of Colorado’s Board of Regents races up for grabs on Tuesday night. But the Democratic majority on the board is poised to remain the same. The Associated Press has declared GOP candidates victorious…
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Magic mushroom ballot measure on verge of passing | ELECTION 2022
Colorado voters are poised to decriminalize hallucinogenic compounds in magic mushrooms, the early and unofficial election returns on Wednesday afternoon show. The proposition so far has captured 51.4% of the vote as of Thursday. The early vote count stood at 1,037,130 for and 980,392 against. If passed by voters, Prop 122 would make “magic mushrooms”…
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Shooting by Thornton officer during standoff justified, 17th Judicial DA finds
The 17th Judicial District Attorney declined to file any criminal charges against Thornton police officers for an incident in March in which they shot a man in the foot during a standoff. The man shot at officers and later killed himself, according to a decision letter from District Attorney Brian Mason. The investigation didn’t conclusively…
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Colorado prosecutors welcome proposed funding to aid DAs in combatting auto thefts
Prosecutors welcomed Gov. Jared Polis’ budget proposal to earmark $12.6 million over two years for prevention and prosecution of auto theft, saying the assistance from the state is sorely needed. The director of Colorado’s district attorneys’ organization noted it’s new for the state budget to give funding directly to prosecutors’ offices that doesn’t come through…
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Arraignment in Elijah McClain case moved to next year
The arraignments for the five police officers and two paramedics charged in connection with Elijah McClain’s 2019 death in Aurora have been rescheduled for Jan. 20, with none of the defendants entering pleas in a brief hearing Friday afternoon. McClain, 23, died in hospital in August 2019 days after police officers forcibly restrained him, put…
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Denver shooting leaves 1 dead, 4 hospitalized
Denver Police Tuesday scrambled to catch up with three suspects who got out of a car near East Colfax Avenue, and shot “multiple rounds” into a group of people, killing one and sending four more to the hospital. Police responded to the 1400 block of Verbena Street at 1:50 p.m. Tuesday after ShotSpotter detected gunshots…