Tag: larimer county
-
Colorado justices, 4-2, say defendant cannot be retried after judge rejected jury’s partial acquittal
If a jury clearly indicates that it has acquitted a defendant of certain charges while remaining deadlocked on others, judges must accept that partial acquittal verdict, a divided Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday. Justice William W. Hood III, in the June 8 majority opinion, acknowledged that judges ordinarily may not ask a deadlocked jury…
-
Colorado justices concerned about retrying defendant after jury signaled acquittal
Some members of the Colorado Supreme Court appeared uncomfortable on Tuesday with allowing a criminal defendant to stand trial a second time after a Larimer County jury signaled it was deadlocked on some counts but had found him not guilty of the more serious charges. Omar Alexander Mena stood trial last summer for three counts…
-
Susan Blanco, innovator in the judiciary | SUPREME COURT FINALISTS
Less than 24 hours after her selection as a finalist for a Colorado Supreme Court vacancy, Chief Judge Susan Blanco was back on the bench in Fort Collins, moving methodically through the variety of complications she encountered. “Your goatee might grow to your belly button by then,” she quipped to a defendant awaiting the delayed…
-
Colorado justices rule Larimer County judge wrongly denied competency second opinion to defendant
The Colorado Supreme Court determined on Monday that a Larimer County judge had no choice but to permit a doctor to give their second opinion on a criminal defendant’s competency to proceed, even though he had received numerous such evaluations in the past. Justice Carlos A. Samour Jr., in the Jan. 12 decision, noted that…
-
Colorado justices splinter over approach to sentencing review
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court were divided on Monday about whether vehicular homicide stemming from intoxicated driving is “grave and serious” in every possible scenario, with two justices suggesting the court reconfigure its approach for determining the proportionality of criminal sentences. The Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment means sentences cannot be…
-
Colorado Supreme Court to hear 2 Denver criminal appeals
The justices may also intervene in an ongoing criminal case to determine if the defendant is entitled to a fifth competency evaluation
-
Trail Talk: Horsetooth Reservoir in Larimer County a fun way to break out of a rut
When I slip on my worn hiking boots, it’s like wrapping up in a favorite afghan — comfortable and familiar. Trails are like that too, and I have my favorites — just as you likely do also. Paths so familiar that I know where to find the pasque flowers in May and the columbines in…
-
New Bay to Bay Trail explores one of Colorado’s most popular reservoirs
There’s a new way to explore one of Colorado’s most popular water destinations. Larimer County recently announced opening the Bay to Bay Trail, connecting two go-to areas along the shores of Horsetooth Reservoir. A news release described the hiking and biking trail as “spectacular,” traveling 1.8 miles along the peninsula between South Bay and Inlet…
-
Colorado justices consider 33-year-old analogy’s impact on community corrections sentences
The Colorado Supreme Court pondered an unusual question on Wednesday: When a previous decision relied on an analogy, but the circumstances of the analogy have since changed, is the prior decision still valid? Ryan Wallace Bonde’s appeal to the Supreme Court explores whether Bonde’s time in non-residential community corrections can be deducted from the prison…
-
Motor vehicle repair law splits appeals court 3 ways, with call for legislature to step in
Colorado’s second-highest court was unusually divided on Thursday over the state’s consumer protection law for vehicle owners, with three judges issuing three separate opinions about what the terms of the law require. The Motor Vehicle Repair Act places obligations on repair facilities to provide certain disclosures and estimates to customers before beginning work. If a…