Tag: arapahoe county
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Appeals court reverses conviction after judge blocked questioning about witness’s criminal charges
An Arapahoe County judge violated a defendant’s constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him by blocking the defense from asking a witness about her own pending criminal charges in the same jurisdiction, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week. Prosecutors charged Jose Garcia Valdivia with multiple counts of assault and felony menacing. Garcia allegedly got…
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Appeals court reverses assault convictions after jury received no definition of ‘harm’
Colorado’s second-highest court reversed an Arapahoe County defendant’s assault convictions last week, concluding the trial judge neglected to define a key, ambiguous term for jurors. Police officers arrested David Cristobal Aragon at a house party for allegedly violating a restraining order, but he had a series of seizure-like episodes that required transportation to the hospital.…
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First-degree murder charge filed against Centennial 11-year-old accused of killing 5-year-old brother
The 11-year-old Centennial boy accused of killing his 5-year-old brother has been formally charged with first-degree murder, according to the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office. The formal charge was filed Monday in addition to an aggravated juvenile offender charge, according to Eric Ross, a spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office. Ross said the boy has…
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Centennial boy held on suspicion of murder in death of 5-year-old brother
An 11-year-old Centennial boy was taken into custody and is being held on suspicion of murder in the death of his 5-year-old brother, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. Deputies responded to a call at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 5200 block of South Jericho Street, where a 5-year-old boy had died in…
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Colorado Supreme Court accepts cases about reliability of gun-to-bullet matching
The Colorado Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will hear two cases questioning the reliability of expert testimony that purports to identify whether a specific bullet was fired from a specific gun. At least three of the court’s seven members must agree to take up a case on appeal. There is currently one vacancy,…
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Arapahoe County law enforcement improperly obtained confidential medical records, justices find
Law enforcement in Arapahoe County improperly obtained a criminal defendant’s confidential medical records and cannot use them in her child abuse prosecution, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday. The justices also declined to say whether the body-worn camera footage of a police officer who was present during the defendant’s treatment was similarly protected by…
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Divided appeals court overturns defendant’s $350,000 restitution obligation
Colorado’s second-highest court overturned a defendant’s obligation to pay nearly $350,000 in crime victim restitution last week because an Arapahoe County judge issued the restitution order beyond the legal deadline. The divided decision of a three-judge Court of Appeals panel is the latest illustration of the struggle some judges continue to have with Colorado’s restitution…
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Convicted Colorado killer gets more prison time after death of Limon inmate
A man who was previously convicted of murder in Arapahoe County was sentenced to additional four-plus more decades behind bars for the bludgeoning and strangulation death of a fellow inmate at the Limon Correctional Facility, according to a news release by the 23rd Judicial District. Arthur Price, 40, killed 65-year-old inmate Paul Hack in a…
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Aurora man accused of sexually assaulting an infant sentenced to prison
The Aurora man arrested in September 2024 on suspicion of sexually assaulting an infant and possessing thousands of pieces of child pornography was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Friday. Aaron Mocalkins, 31, faced over 20 felony charges, including sexual exploitation of a child, sexual assault of a child, cruelty to animals and more.…
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On the docket this week: Quail Lake kidnapping suspect, man accused of double homicide back in court
Last week, the 4th Judicial District saw a judge hand down a 30-year prison sentence to the defendant in the deadly 2024 Sinton Road shooting and a trial date set for co-defendants in the kidnapping and sexual assault case of two local runaways. More hearings are in store for this week. Here is the rundown:…