Karen Bowers was on this story, too. Despite the city's refusal to open its files, she talked with many of the people who were at Thomas Jefferson that night and wrote a compelling analysis of the situation in the December 21 issue of Westword.
Two days later, the ACLU, which was defending the four people charged in the fight, sued the city under the Colorado Open Records Act, asking that the full police investigation be made public; Westword signed on to that suit. Earlier this month Denver District Judge Paul Markson ordered the release of all related documents except for a 63-page summary of the police investigation. The ACLU protested even that being kept private, and Markson gave both sides thirty days to appeal his decision.
It didn't take that long for Denver officials to realize that in the clear light of day--and public scrutiny--its decision to charge even four people wasn't going to look good. The charges against Hopkins and Roach were dropped soon after Markson announced his decision; the city attorney's office is expected to drop the remaining charges, filed against two juveniles, later this week.
Lose some, win some.
In the case of Ashley Gray, there are no school dances. She will never be a teenager. Her murderer took her future from her.
We should remember her name.
For a daily dose of Calhoun, look for her new column, Wake-Up Call, only on the Web at www.westword.com
Now Trending
-
Voice Places
Find everything you're looking for in your city
-
Happy Hour App
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
-
Daily Deals
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
-
Best Of...
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
- Profile
- Newsletters
- Mobile
- Logout
-
Publishing:
ONOFF
