Tag: judge elizabeth harris
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Colorado appeals court upholds campaign finance fine for ex-state Senate candidate
Colorado’s second-highest court last week agreed a former state Senate candidate misinterpreted campaign finance law and failed to file the proper paperwork upon declaring her candidacy. Suzanne Taheri was the unsuccessful Republican nominee in 2020 for the seat now held by Sen. Chris Kolker, D-Littleton. Although Taheri believed she had satisfied Colorado’s campaign finance requirements…
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El Paso County man’s concerns of bias did not entitle him to forgo jury trial, appeals court rules
Colorado’s second-highest court ruled earlier this month that a defendant in El Paso County did not have the right to unilaterally choose a trial by judge, rather than trial by jury, amid concerns that jurors would not treat him fairly. Jonathan Yamar Best is serving 20 years to life in prison after a jury convicted…
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Divided Colorado appeals court upholds sex abuse convictions despite problematic testimony
By 2-1, Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday upheld a man’s child sex assault convictions despite an expert witness vouching for the credibility of the victims — which is typically improper. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals agreed Gustavo Lopez “opened the door” to the problematic evidence by suggesting his child victims had been…
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Thornton officer’s unlawful search prompts appeals court to overturn Adams County drug conviction
An Adams County judge wrongly allowed evidence from an unconstitutional search in a man’s trial, prompting Colorado’s second-highest court to overturn the drug conviction last month. Jurors convicted Thomas Sandoval of one count of drug possession, after a Thornton police officer discovered a small container of methamphetamine during a pat-down search for weapons. Sandoval appealed,…
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Boulder County judge wasn’t obligated to bail out self-represented defendant, appeals court rules
Colorado’s second-highest court concluded last month that a criminal defendant in Boulder County was not unfairly forced to choose between his rights to a speedy trial and to an attorney, and, when he elected to go without an attorney, the trial judge was not obligated to save him from his own poor performance. Jurors convicted Timothy…