Charles Garcia

Marijuana: Activist Rico Colibri on creating Amendment 64 Shadow Task Force

On the day Governor John Hickenlooper signed Amendment 64, he also announced the formation of a task force intended to make recommendations about the measure's implementation. Since then, some observers have complained about the task force's membership. Hence, a number of reformers are announcing to ... More >>

Amendment 64 task force first meeting today: Welcome to the mild, wild West

A week after John Hickenlooper signed Amendment 64 into law, and four days after President Barack Obama said that the feds have bigger fish to fry than prosecuting recreational users of pot in states that have made it legal, Colorado's Task Force on the Implementation of Amendment 64 will have its f ... More >>

Amendment 64 task force can't make mountains out of marijuana molehills, advocate says

In this space yesterday, marijuana advocate Christian Sederberg spoke positively about the Amendment 64 task force to which he was just named. So, too, does attorney Sean McAllister, who lobbied the governor's office about the importance of marijuana consumers being represented on the panel. But wit ... More >>

Amendment 64's Christian Sederberg upbeat about being named to marijuana act's task force

Word that Governor John Hickenlooper had signed Amendment 64 into law necessarily overshadowed the announcement of members assigned to a task force that will guide implementation of the act. But Christian Sederberg, who'll represent the A64 campaign in the group, thinks the process is off to a posit ... More >>

Amendment 64 is now law: Governor John Hickenlooper quietly signs measure

Ever since voters approved Amendment 64, Governor John Hickenlooper's office has been evasive about saying when he would ink the measure. But this morning, he quietly signed A64 into law -- an action followed by a strangely worded announcement on view below.

Jay Estrada: Denver Civil Service Commission actually upholds decision to fire cop

Denver's Civil Service Commission has been under fire for not letting fired cops stay fired from the likes of Mayor Michael Hancock, who called for reform after the reinstatement of two officers sacked over the 2009 billy-clubbing incident at the Denver Diner. Is the criticism having an effect? One ... More >>

Denver Diner: Attorney, witness of brutality incident decry accused cops' back-to-work order

Update: Last week, we noted that Denver police officers Ricky Nixon and Kevin Devine had been given the go-ahead by the Denver Civil Service Commission to hit the streets again despite having been fired last year for their actions in the 2009 billy-clubbing and macing incident at the Denver Diner. H ... More >>

Can new faces and a new structure bring discipline to the Denver Police Department?

Denver police misconduct allegations: A Westword update

In this week's cover story, "Back on the Beat," Westword explores recent changes within the Denver Police Department's oversight system and its investigation of Alex Landau's January 2009 beating. For a while, there won't be any changes: While the Department of Justice analyzes the Landau, the DPD h ... More >>

Mary Beth Klee, new DPD Internal Affairs boss, a brutality apologist, attorney says

Late last month, the Denver Police Department named former district and country judge Jess Vigil to the new position of deputy manager of police discipline -- a move ballyhooed as an indication that the DPD under Chief Robert White is getting serious about brutality allegations. But the attorney for ... More >>

Denver Diner cops going back to streets because some city Shmuck missed filing deadline

Kevin Divine and Ricky Nixon, the Denver police officers who were fired last April by then-Manager of Safety Charles Garcia because of their behavior during -- and after -- a controversial altercation at the Denver Diner in July 2009, have gotten their jobs back, at least for now. Blame our Shmuck o ... More >>

Jess Vigil named to new Department of Safety position to oversee police discipline

In an attempt to improve the public's trust in the police and the department's disciplinary review system, Manager of Safety Alex Martinez announced the creation of a new position within his office. Former district and country judge Jess Vigil will join the police review process as the deputy manage ... More >>

Jay Estrada latest fired Denver Police officer ordered to be reinstated: Why?

Jay Estrada.​Denver Police officers are fired on occasion -- but they don't always stay fired. This fact has been reinforced again by the actions of a hearing officers panel, which ruled that Detective Jay Estrada should don his uniform again. Last June, Estrada was sacked for lying in a high ... More >>

Police brutality: Reinstated cop still faces lawsuit in Denver Diner case

Big pics below.​Denver's Civil Service Commission has reinstated officers Ricky Nixon and Kevin Devine, who'd been fired for their actions in an alleged brutality incident at the Denver Diner in 2009. But a lawsuit over the matter is still alive, and the attorney representing the plaintiffs e ... More >>

Ricky Nixon, Denver cop involved in several brutality cases, is reinstated

Police brutality: Cop reinstated before city has completed Alex Landau inquiry

Alex Landau.​The decision of the Civil Service Commission to reinstate cops Ricky Nixon and Kevin Devine, who'd been sacked over an alleged 2009 brutality incident at the Denver Diner, is controversial in and of itself. But this twist becomes even more incendiary considering that Nixon was al ... More >>

Michael DeHerrera talks about reinstatement of cops who beat him (VIDEO)

Video below.​Update: After two police officers fired for the 2009 on-camera beating of Michael DeHerrera were reinstated to their jobs, we spoke to Anthony DeHerrera, Michael's father and a law enforcement veteran, about his displeasure with the decision. His words are echoed by Michael himsel ... More >>

Denver cops getting free ride for DUIs, suggests Independent Monitor Richard Rosenthal

Rosenthal.​The new status report from Independent Monitor and Westword profile subject Richard Rosenthal contains a real whopper: He says off-duty Denver officers caught driving drunk in Denver may be scoring get-out-of-jail free cards. Since 2005, ten off-duty Denver officers have been buste ... More >>

Denver police chief may have fewer cops to police, thanks to Career Service Authority

​Mayor-elect Michael Hancock, back from a brief vacation yesterday, introduced his new chief of staff, Janice Sinden, and said he's still looking for a new police chief. No matter his choice, Denver's next top cop is unlikely to get the same warm welcome that greeted consensus-builder Sinden ... More >>

Qwest sign to vanish, but Sol Trujillo, digital space man, is still questing

Sol Trujillo.​Crews will be taking down the big blue Qwest signs high above California Street next week, replacing them with the bilious green CenturyLink logo. So ends an acrimonious era, as Qwest -- the former fiber-optic whiz kid, the brash bad boy of the telecom world who came to town amid ... More >>

Denver Police retirees back on the beat today, demanding a "fair" manager of safety

​While mayor-elect Michael Hancock continues to collect resumes for the numerous appointments he must make, a group of retired police officers will be gathering today to ask Hancock to appoint a new safety manager -- the sixth person in that position in a year -- who will be more sympathetic t ... More >>

Jay Estrada, Kenneth Briggle latest Denver cops sacked by Charles Garcia as police gripes mount

Charles Garcia.​Denver Manager of Safety Charles Garcia's decision to fire Officers Devin Sparks and Randy Murr for their actions in the Michael DeHerrera beating this past March wasn't the end of discipline against allegedly bad policemen. This week alone, Garcia has sacked two more cops (Jay ... More >>

Denver police brutality scandal: A multimedia timeline

Rosenthal.​This week's cover story, "The Watcher," details the role Denver's Independent Monitor Richard Rosenthal has played in the ongoing controversy involving city law enforcement and alleged police brutality. It's a scandal that's made nationwide news and is shaping the mayoral race. How ... More >>

Marvin Booker death: Denver Sheriff Department members cleared (VIDEO)

Marvin Booker​The five officers involved in restraining Marvin Booker in July 2010 at the Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center -- an incident that ultimately led to his death -- will be not face criminal charges. Instead, they're scheduled to meet today with Director of Corrections Gary Wilson a ... More >>

Gerald Whitman: If Denver Police chief goes, next mayor shouldn't ignore DPD candidates

Tracie Keesee.​Here's your chief's hat, what's your hurry? With many of the mayoral candidates saying that Denver Police Chief Gerald Whitman should go -- and Whitman himself saying he would resign if asked -- some people, including the author of today's Denver Post editorial, are calling for ... More >>

Michael DeHerrera beating: Officers Devin Sparks & Randy Murr fired by Manager of Safety

The attack.​Michael DeHerrera was using a cell phone when he was beaten by Denver Police officers -- a 2009 incident captured on video. Since then, there have been a great many cries for justice amid publicity over other alleged incidents of excessive force involving the likes of Alex Landau. ... More >>

Judge and Jury

With several controversial cases coming up, Colorado's death-penalty decision moves to a three-judge panel.