Chris Bartkowicz declines to plead guilty in marijuana home grow case

Yet another unexpected twist in the case of Highlands Ranch's Chris Bartkowicz, whose home-grown marijuana crop was seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration immediately after he showed it off to Channel 9. Bartkowicz was expected to reverse his original not guilty plea at a hearing today -- one that his...

By Michael Roberts

April 16, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Yet another unexpected twist in the case of Highlands Ranch's Chris Bartkowicz, whose home-grown marijuana crop was seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration immediately after he showed it off to Channel 9.

Bartkowicz was expected to reverse his original not guilty plea at a hearing today -- one that his attorney, Joseph Saint-Veltri, tried to delay because he couldn't reach his client. The judge turned down that request, and the hearing went ahead as scheduled -- but with a surprising result.

"Mr. Bartkowicz declined to go forward with the change of plea," Saint-Veltri says.

What happens next?

"The case is now scheduled a couple of weeks out for a status hearing," Saint-Veltri reveals. "Presumably, the government will proceed to indict him, and the status conference will be used for an arraignment and trial-setting purpose."

Saint-Veltri declines to speak further about Bartkowicz's change of heart, but he does confirm that he'll continue to represent him in a case that now seems much further from a resolution than it did at this time yesterday.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo