Crime and Law

Death penalty: Representative Claire Levy says she is confident a repeal could pass

Before Representative Claire Levy proposes legislation to repeal the death penalty in Colorado, she wants to be sure that it can pass. And after more discussions with her fellow lawmakers on the topic, she says it seems like the momentum is right to get rid of the death penalty -- even if one of h ... More >>

James Holmes: Post-its in courthouse bathroom promote film that says he was set up

Accused Aurora theater shooter James Holmes was in court yesterday for a short hearing to determine whether lawyers were ready to proceed with what will likely be a revealing preliminary hearing next week. (They are; the hearing starts Monday, January 7 at 9 a.m.) After the hearing, we used the wome ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: Preliminary hearing in James Holmes case to start Monday

An important hearing in the case of Aurora theater shooting suspect James Holmes will start Monday, January 7 at 9 a.m. This morning, prosecutors and Holmes's defense attorneys told the judge in the case that they're ready to proceed with the preliminary hearing, which is expected to reveal many m ... More >>

Aurora shooting: Families of victims blast letter from Cinemark inviting them to reopening

This was not the holiday letter that families of the Aurora theater shooting victims wanted to receive. Two days after Christmas, the families of those killed on July 20 received a letter inviting them to return to the site of the massacre for a Cinemark reopening event. They've since responded wi ... More >>

Death penalty: As legislators consider repeal, John Morse says he's now supportive

With the new year comes a new legislative session, and there's already talk about a potential effort to repeal the death penalty in Colorado. And John Morse, a Democrat and the new president of the Senate, says he is likely to support a repeal. This would be a major shift from his previous stance ... More >>

Months after Aurora theater shooting, days after Sandy Hook, officials launch trauma website

The tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut last week has reignited policy debates in Colorado that had quieted since the July 20 massacre in Aurora. And for victims of the theater shootings, the devastation in Connecticut can also trigger painful memories. That's why ... More >>

Columbine to Newtown: A tragic list of school shootings since 1999

The senseless massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, which took the lives of twenty children, including Olivia Engel, seen here, plus seven adults, instantly stirs terrible memories of the 1999 attack on Columbine High School. On the tenth anniversary of that tragedy, we assembled a horrific roster of sc ... More >>

Bob Autobee "drops out" of death penalty battle for son's killer, Edward Montour

Frustrated by a decade of legal delays and setbacks, the father of slain state corrections officer Eric Autobee says that he now opposes further efforts to obtain the death penalty for inmate Edward Montour Jr. for the 2002 murder. In a recent interview, Bob Autobee also blasted the leadership of th ... More >>

Aurora's Steve Hogan: Why didn't he join anti-illegal gun mayors group after theater shooting?

Steve Hogan, mayor of Aurora, the city where Century 16 shooting suspect James Holmes allegedly killed twelve people and injured dozens more, is not joining a nationwide coalition of mayors that supports stricter gun laws. In response, the group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, argues that Hogan should ... More >>

Will juvenile lifers get a second chance?

See also: Johnathan Jordan letter clears co-defendant in murder -- but will anyone believe it?

Colorado will soon be a player in the patent wars

On the front lines of the costliest battle in the high-tech world

Strange Brewing faces a trademark threat from a Massachusetts homebrew shop

Something strange is going on. In September, as Denver's Strange Brewing was gearing up for a small expansion as well as the Great American Beer Festival, owners John Fletcher and Tim Myers got a letter from a lawyer demanding that they change their name. See also: - De Steeg Brewing will open on ... More >>

Joseph Nieto and Christina Drummond in lockup for "Bonnie and Clyde" bank robberies

It took nearly three years, but Joseph Nieto has finally been sentenced in Colorado for robberies he's admitted to committing with help from Christina Drummond, who played Bonnie to his Clyde -- at least according to the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, which bequeathed their nicknames. Detai ... More >>

Eric Swanson: Mayhem concert assault nets seven-year prison sentence

Eric Swanson's troubled past caught up with him last week in an Arapahoe County courtroom -- although not with quite the vengeance prosecutors had in mind. At one point facing habitual criminal charges and a potential 64-year-sentence for a case that began as a municipal summons for harassment, Swan ... More >>

James Holmes case: Leak fears inspire order denying access to evidence for victims' lawsuits

Update: Judge William Sylvester, the jurist overseeing the Aurora theater shooting case against accused murderer James Holmes, has denied a request for access to evidence from three victims suing Cinemark, owner of the Century 16, where twelve people died and 58 were injured during the July 20 attac ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: Katie Medley among twelve new victims identified

Twelve more people have been identified as victims of the July 20 Aurora theater shooting. Recently released court documents show that prosecutors are charging alleged shooter James Holmes with 24 more counts of attempted murder -- two for each new victim -- bringing the total charges against him to ... More >>

James Holmes case: Cinemark lawsuits amend references to prior gang shooting at Century 16

The Aurora theater shootings have spawned a number of lawsuits against Cinemark, owner of the Century 16, where James Holmes allegedly killed twelve people and wounded 58. But two of the suits were subsequently amended to remove direct references to prior gang shootings at the theater -- a rationale ... More >>

Damien Echols on the West Memphis Three, exoneration and Life After Death

Is there life after death? After eighteen years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit, most of them spent in the debilitating confines of death row, Damien Echols plans to find out. In 1993 Echols, then eighteen, and two other Arkansas teenagers were arrested and charged with the murders of thre ... More >>

Edward Montour: The other death-penalty decision facing the new DA

This week's feature, "Lethal Election," explores how the race for district attorney in the 18th Judicial District has drawn a national spotlight because the winner will have to decide whether to pursue the death penalty in prosecuting James Holmes, the suspect in the Aurora theater shootings. It's a ... More >>

Arapahoe County's district attorney race could prove a lethal election

See also: James Holmes case exploited on Facebook by district attorney candidate?

James Holmes case exploited on Facebook by district attorney candidate?

This week's cover story, "Lethal Election," reports on one of the most keenly fought local contests in Colorado this fall, the race for district attorney in the state's largest judicial district. Since Carol Chambers is term-limited, the winner in the 18th District (which includes Arapahoe, Douglas, ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: New lawsuit charges Century 16 owner Cinemark with negligence

Last month, three survivors of the Aurora theater shooting filed lawsuits against Cinemark, owner of the Century 16, where the July 20 massacre took place. Cinemark has filed to dismiss these claims -- but another has just arrived. Marc Bern, whose New York law firm has won a big settlement on behal ... More >>

James Holmes is Innocent Facebook group no threat to survivors, administrator says

At the most recent hearing in the case of Aurora theater shooter, a prosecutor maintained that attack survivors need anonymity because of potentially frightening interest in them by online supporters of accused killer James Holmes. An administrator of the most prominent James Holmes is Innocent Face ... More >>

James Holmes case update: Judge wants more info about request to release victim names

Update below: Prosecutors say victims of the Aurora theater shooting are "severely concerned" about their own safety and for that reason, the names of all victims and witnesses in the case should be kept secret. The argument came in response to a request from several media outlets to release the nam ... More >>

Spider-Man, X-Men property of Colorado company? Inside Stan Lee Media lawsuit

Could the X-Men and other characters created by Stan Lee belong to a Colorado company? That's the contention of a lawsuit filed here by locally based Stan Lee Media, Inc. against The Walt Disney Company. The suit claims SLMI is entitled to "billions of dollars of profits" from movies and more even t ... More >>

James Holmes case: DA brushes off call for sanctions, suing victims denied theater access

Today, three new documents were released in the case of accused Aurora theater shooter James Holmes pertaining to a pair of controversies -- defense attorneys' call for sanctions against prosecutors for allegedly lying about Holmes being banned from the Anschutz Medical Campus, and a request from th ... More >>

Reader: James Holmes Halloween mask in very bad taste

Would you pay $500 for a mask of James Holmes? One was offered last week on eBay for $500. And then would you wear it out in public? See also: - James Holmes ultra-realistic Halloween mask listed on eBay for $500 - Five tips for visiting a haunted house - Aurora Century 16: Facebook survey for reo ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: Victims' families ask Jim Lehrer to raise gun policy at debate

In their first group message focused on gun policy, family members of those who died in the Aurora theater shooting have come together to urge presidential debate moderator Jim Lehrer to press Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on the topic of firearms violence when the candidates face off in Denver tomor ... More >>

Aurora Century 16: Facebook survey vote for reopening not limited to locals

Update: Last week, we posted about the decision by Cinemark, owner of the Aurora Century 16, to reopen the theater where James Holmes allegedly killed twelve people and injured 58 this past July; see our previous coverage below. Now, we've learned more details about the Facebook survey that showed t ... More >>

James Holmes case: Aurora Century 16 owner Cinemark files to dismiss victims' lawsuits

Update: Mere hours after we published a post about the possible impact of lawsuits filed Aurora theater shooting victims on plans to reopen the Century 16, shuttered since the July 20 massacre that killed twelve and injured 58, Cinemark provided an answer -- in court. The Texas-based owner of the th ... More >>

James Holmes case: See first of fifty newly released, often heavily redacted documents

This morning, the court released more than fifty documents in the James Holmes case that had previously been kept from public view -- dating all the way back to Holmes's application for a public defender on July 20, the day prosecutors say Holmes shot and killed twelve people and injured 58 at a mid ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting victim impersonator suspect identified by cops, won't be charged

Update below: Law enforcement investigated motions filed by someone impersonating a victim in the James Holmes case, prosecutors say in one of 57 documents made public. As Westword previously reported, at least one of those motions is truly bizarre, claiming that Holmes is being "framed by Philip An ... More >>

Twenty years later, there's still much we don't know about Rocky Flats

James Holmes case: Inside three victims' lawsuits against Aurora theater

Within days of the Aurora theater shooting, announcements were made about possible lawsuits over the horrific attack, in which James Holmes is accused of killing twelve people and injuring 58. Now, however, two suits have been filed against the theater's owner by a total of three surviving victims. ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: Rich Audsley, donation adviser, reflects on funds for past massacres

Last month, ex-United Way official Rich Audsley got involved in the committee responsible for disbursing millions of donated dollars to the families of those who were killed or injured in the Aurora theater shooting. He was brought on as a special adviser because of his expertise in an area he never ... More >>

James Holmes: Strange new mug shot, ten new counts -- and five more victims?

On the same day that a new, wild-eyed mug shot was released of James Holmes -- one that shows his hair close-cropped and returning to its natural dark color -- the accused Aurora theater shooter has been charged with ten additional counts of attempted murder at the request of prosecutors. The docume ... More >>

Marijuana: Amendment 64 opponents dub Tony Ryan, decorated Denver officer, a rent-a-cop

Yesterday, the backers of Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, held a press event at which retired Denver Police Lieutenant Tony Ryan appeared alongside other law-enforcement representatives who support the measure. Afterward, the head of the main anti-64 group dubbed him a "pro-po ... More >>

Amendment 64 camp on law-enforcement support, teachers union opposition

At noon, proponents of Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, will hold a press event at which two law-enforcement organizations will join previous backers in expressing their support for the measure; get details below. A spokeswoman stresses that the get-together isn't a response to ... More >>

James Holmes railroaded...for running a red light, says traffic-ticket critic

Despite the allegations against him in the Aurora Theater Shooting, accused killer James Holmes has plenty of defenders, including members of the James Holmes Is Innocent Facebook page and so-called Holmies fan groups. Now, an editor at the Washington Times is also saying Holmes was railroaded -- bu ... More >>

Tom Tancredo's Metro State ad seeks plaintiffs for undocumented-student tuition deal lawsuit

Former Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo has purchased an advertisement in tomorrow's edition of The Metropolitan, the student newspaper for Metro State University of Denver -- one that could cost the school plenty. Tancredo confirms that the ad (see it below) seeks plaintiffs for ... More >>

Eddie Ives's botched execution and replacing the noose with the gas chamber

This week's cover story, "The Happiest Man on Death Row," examines the 1939 execution of Joe Arridy, a Pueblo man with an IQ of 46, for a murder he probably didn't commit -- and the twenty-year battle by author Robert Perske to clear his name. Although the miscarriage of justice in Arridy's case is ... More >>

Rollin Oliver: Read probable cause statement of Officer Celena Hollis's accused killer

Update: We've obtained the probable cause statement in Denver Police Officer Celena Hollis's death. See it below earlier coverage. Original post, 6:59 p.m. September 13: Rollin Oliver, accused of murdering Denver Policewoman Celena Hollis, admitted to officers that he fired at least two shots on Ju ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: Meet Jonathan Lee Riches, prime suspect in bizarre court filings

Last week, we told you about a bizarre court filing in the Aurora theater shooting case -- one that blamed the incident on a police chief and the Illuminati, among others. Shortly thereafter, Reddit user FreedomsTorch set out to unmask the prankster behind the document. He concludes the culprit is s ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: Victims' families still concerned about donation disbursment

In August, family members of eleven victims killed in the Aurora theater shooting came together for a joint press conference to express their concern that millions of dollars donated in their loved ones' names were not reaching them. Three weeks and three meetings later, some of them say they sti ... More >>

James Holmes is Innocent Facebook group insists it's serious

Seven weeks to the day since the Aurora theater shooting, the sort of James Holmes tribute pages that popped up in the immediate aftermath of the massacre are showing unexpected staying power on Facebook. Most (like this one) are mainly about shock value. But the largest Facebook group we've found - ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: Bizarre court filing blames massacre on police chief, Illuminati

Earlier, we introduced you to the James Holmes is Innocent Facebook group, whose members say they're uninterested in wild conspiracy theories -- like, for example, the assertions in the strangest Aurora theater shooting document to date. The motion, made public yesterday and on view below, deals wit ... More >>

James Holmes: Did he call CU hospital nine minutes before Aurora theater shooting?

Most of the lengthy hearing yesterday in the James Holmes case focused on whether the prosecution will have access to a package the suspect allegedly sent to psychiatrist Lynne Fenton before the July 20th shooting at an Aurora movie theater. But one quick exchange between Fenton and the defense rais ... More >>

James Holmes defense accuses prosecutors of reckless disregard for the truth

The 18th Judicial District has made public another document in the James Holmes/Aurora theater shooting case -- a so-called register of actions for the past week. And it contains some intriguing revelations. Among them: word of a motion in which Holmes's attorneys accuse prosecutors of reckless disr ... More >>

Aurora theater shooting: Is local media ignoring victims and their families?

Members of eleven families with a loved one who died in the Aurora theater shooting gathered yesterday to criticize Governor John Hickenlooper and a nonprofit in charge of donations, claiming they've been left out of the process. Some of them also had complaints about another group: the local media ... More >>