Trials

Rollin Oliver pleads guilty to second-degree murder in slaying of Officer Celena Hollis

Rollin Oliver pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder in the shooting death of Denver police officer Celena Hollis last June. The 22-year-old faces a sentence of sixteen to 26 years in prison according to the plea agreement, which is on view below. The original charge of first-degree murder/ext ... More >>

Edward Montour guilty plea ruling: David Lane on death penalty, James Holmes, "bloody 18th"

At a February hearing, Edward Montour sought to withdraw his guilty plea for a 2002 murder in an effort to avoid the death penalty he'd previously sought. The office of 18th Judicial District DA George Brauchler, who's also seeking death for accused Aurora theater shooter James Holmes, argued agains ... More >>

James Holmes: Not guilty plea entered in Aurora theater shooting

Update below: James Holmes, the suspect in the July 20 shooting at an Aurora movie theater that killed twelve people and wounded seventy others, was widely expected to plead not guilty by reason of insanity at an arraignment hearing today. Instead, Judge William Sylvester entered a not-guilty plea ... More >>

Edward Montour case: Was inmate a "volunteer" for the death penalty?

In an unusual court hearing unfolding in Castle Rock, attorneys for Edward Montour Jr. are seeking to withdraw his guilty plea for the murder of a correctional officer in 2002, claiming that he was mentally ill at the time and seeking "court-assisted suicide" by firing his lawyers in a death-penalty ... 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: 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 >>

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

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

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 >>

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

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 >>

Supreme Court justices are silent -- and shmucky -- on Rocky Flats decision

For years, people living around the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant wondered if the secret operations at that facility could somehow be endangering the health of people and animals living nearby. And the FBI's spectacular dawn raid of Rocky Flats in June 1989, certainly didn't do much for propert ... More >>

Update: Photos from supermax lawsuit claiming horrific abuse of mentally ill at ADX

Update: Yesterday, Alan Prendergast reported on a supermax lawsuit alleging shocking mistreatment of mentally ill prisoners. We've added a copy of the suit, plus photos of the facility and the imprisoned plaintiffs in the case. See it below following Prendergast's piece. Original post by Alan Prend ... More >>

Linda Torrez is headed to prison for abusing Kristen Stillman

Linda Torrez​Kristen Stillman had been on the witness stand for two days -- talking about how her mother had dropped Kristen and her twin brother, Will, off at a house in northwest Denver when they were eight, and how the head of that household had abused them emotionally, physically, sexually ... More >>

The Big Bitch

The secret behind long sentences handed out to repeat offenders in the 18th Judicial District

Aaron Perry, recycOil CEO, convicted for trespassing, company files libel suit

Aaron Perry, CEO and CFO of recycOil, a Boulder waste oil recycling firm also known as Rocky Mountain Sustainable Enterprises (RMSE), has been found guilty of trespassing on a competitor's property, but not guilty of harassment and a misdemeanor trespassing charge. After a two-day trial, a Boulder ... More >>

Alvaro Agon, Carbondale cop, criticized for dual role as school police officer, former ICE liaison

​ In June, we told you about two men who were questioned by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a carnival connected with Glenwood Springs' Strawberry Days festival. One of those men, Julio Alvarez-Cortez, has now filed a lawsuit against the officers involved, including Carbondale cop Alvar ... More >>

Righthaven Pyrrhic victory?: Judge doesn't force company to pay Brian Hill's attorney fees

Brian Hill.​The Denver Post is cutting its ties with Righthaven, a Las Vegas firm that files copyright infringement lawsuits on behalf of newspapers -- a decision that may have been influenced by bad PR from the outfit's targeting of Brian Hill, a chronically ill, autistic hobby blogger. Howev ... More >>

Sexual abuse lies keep man in prison; courts refuse to hold new trial

DA Carol Chambers under fire for giving witness a car in death-penalty case

Sir Mario Owens​Attorneys for Sir Mario Owens, sentenced to death for the 2005 murders of Vivian Wolfe and Javad Marshall-Fields, claim that Eighteenth Judicial District Attorney Carol Chambers and her prosecutors made several unusual deals with witnesses in the secrecy-shrouded case -- includ ... More >>

Comment of the day: "Do you read? Do you comprehend?"

​Whatever your opinions about him -- and don't lie; you have some opinions about him -- there's no doubt that Barry Bonds is one of the most polarizing figures in modern sports, almost universally either revered or reviled. The thing that polarizes people about him is his use of steroids, but ... More >>

Shun Birch found guilty of murdering a witness; co-defendant Willie Clark's trial date not yet set

Shun Birch.​ A second man, 29-year-old Shun Birch, has been convicted of murdering a witness named Kalonniann Clark in 2006. He was one of three men charged with Clark's killing -- and perhaps the least known. Reputed gang leader Brian Hicks was found guilty at a trial last month. Willie Clark ... More >>

Ray Wagner: Inmate gets a year in the hole for refusing to lie in death-penalty case?

Ray Wagner​Last month's "not guilty" verdict in the murder trial of inmate Alejandro Perez put an end to six years of costly missteps and setbacks for Eighteenth Judicial District Attorney Carol Chambers and her team of prosecutors, who'd set out to get the death penalty in a murky prison homi ... More >>

Reader: Alejandro Perez attorney responds to prosecutor's spin in failed death penalty case

Perez.​Alan Prendergast's post about the acquittal of Alejandro Perez in the killing of a fellow inmate included comments from prosecutor Jason Siers, whose boss Carol Chambers, is known for the zeal with which she seeks the death penalty. Defense attorney Jim Castle wasn't pleased with Siers' ... More >>

Katia Birge's case of alleged rape by a Catholic lay minister scheduled to go to trial in March

​ Last week, we wrote about the case of Katia Birge, who claims to have been raped by a Denver Catholic lay minister in 2008. Today, her father, attorney Tom Birge, called to dispute a statement made by the Archdiocese of Denver spokeswoman -- and to clarify other points.

Frances Woodke & Shakiel Madden-Vaughn: Latest on hooker with AIDS, teen sex assaulter

Big pics below.​The latest high-profile cases to pass through the Denver District Attorney's Office are quite different in terms of their specifics but similar when it comes to shock value. One woman has been accused (again) of prostitution with knowledge she has AIDS, while a teenager was con ... More >>

Governor Bill Ritter pardons Reverend Leon Kelly and nineteen others

Leon Kelly.​Governor Bill Ritter today issued full pardons to twenty people around Colorado, including the Reverend Leon Kelly, who has been a well-known public figure and anti-gang crusader since 1986 when he founded the Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives. Kelly, whose late father was also a ... More >>

Road to nowhere: The men who are caught transporting illegal immigrants rarely pay the price

Christopher Hanson: Greeley gang member guilty of kidnapping, sex assault, hiring hit man

Larger photo below.​In June, we told you about Christopher Hanson, a Greeley gang member suspected of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman -- and then trying to hire someone to kill her. Last night, a Weld County jury found him guilty on six counts for crimes dating back to December of ... More >>

Boulder Fourmile Canyon fire update: DA Stan Garnett decides against criminal charges

​The Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder was extraordinarily destructive -- yet the volunteer firefighter whose fire pit likely launched the initial spark will not be charged with a crime. That's the decision of Boulder DA Stan Garnett, who feels he couldn't prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt ... More >>

Mark Matson & William Mueller: Twists in cases about alleged molesting priest, Catholic brother

Mark Matson.​Fresh developments in two cases involving alleged child molesters from religious backgrounds with a past in Colorado. This week, a judge declined to toss a lawsuit against Father Mark Matson, who's accused of molesting a teenage boy at a Denver boarding school circa the '70s. And ... More >>

Sex, lies and e-mail: The lawsuit against Dr. Louis Hampers continues

Louis Hampers.​9News investigative reporter Deborah Sherman's relationship with Children's Hospital ER doc Louis Hampers started on a swinger's website and ended in court, where Sherman won a restraining order against him. Hampers' increasingly creepy behavior toward Sherman (and another woma ... More >>

James Broderick, detective in Tim Masters case, indicted for perjury

Tim Masters on Channel 4.​On June 8, when the City of Fort Collins announced that it would pay $5.9 million to Tim Masters, who was wrongfully convicted of murder, his attorney, David Lane, attorney, said Detective James Broderick still needed to be held accountable. Perhaps the eight counts ... More >>

Darrent Williams trial: Mario Anderson, Kataina Jackson-Keeling skip court, warrants issued

A warranted man.​Update, 4:32 p.m.: DA's Office spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough says today's scheduled hearing was continued to 12:45 p.m. on Thursday. Previous update and item below. Update, 12:13 p.m.: Mario Anderson and Kataina "Markie" Jackson-Keeling, who didn't show up on time for a sentenci ... More >>

Stan Garnett tries to capitalize on AG John Suthers's link to serial killer Scott Lee Kimball

Stan Garnett's playing hardball.​In an April post announcing his intention to challenge Colorado Attorney General John Suthers at the polls this November, Boulder district attorney Stan Garnett focused on issues like watching out for consumers, championing the environment and crafting a workab ... More >>

Willie Clark associates' guilty pleas: What were they pleading to?

Kataina "Markie" Jackson-Keeling.​Can any conclusions be drawn from the plea deals accepted by two associates of Willie Clark, who's been sentenced to more time than he could possibly serve for murdering Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams in 2007? Maybe -- but prosecutor Tim Twining says doin ... More >>

Racial-attack suspects: Hearings, sentencings and Allen Ford's not guilty plea

Media reports have connected Allen Ford to Andrew Gelston Graham's murder.​Last week, we told you about reports again linking suspects in a series of racial attacks to the thus-far-unsolved murder of Andrew Gelston Graham. Among those mentioned as being part of a group that allegedly trailed ... More >>

Alan Sudduth learned young that you never snitch -- but now, only the truth can set him free

Children behind bars: Why Colorado is trigger-happy when it comes to sentencing kids like Alan Sudduth as adults

Alan Sudduth was sixteen years old when prosecutors charged him as an adult.​Our cover story this week recounts the tale of Alan Sudduth, a juvenile who was sentenced to seventy years in prison in 1996 for the murder of a cab driver -- even though a recent hearing showed that the prosecution's ... More >>

Cynthia Buschagen, 66, claims Castle Rock's Faith Lutheran Church fired her for being too old -- and too female

Did Faith Lutheran Church in Castle Rock discriminate against Cynthia Buschagen?​Cynthia Buschagen isn't leaving Castle Rock's Faith Lutheran Church quietly. On Friday, the 66-year old filed a lawsuit against her former employer -- as well as its parent organization, Rocky Mountain Synod of th ... More >>

Rocky Flats judgment appealed while plaintiffs wait... and wait

​Plutonium lasts forever, and so do legal cases involving Rocky Flats. Yesterday, 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges Stephen Anderson, Jerome Holmes and Michael Murphy heard arguments in the appeal of the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant class-action lawsuit -- filed by neighbors of t ... More >>

Earl Ryan ends trial early by pleading guilty to killing two-year-old Noah Crookham

Earl Ryan apparently didn't like the direction his trial was heading.​As the Darrent Williams murder trial was winding down, another proceeding about an event with tragic consequences -- the trial of Earl Ryan, who allegedly shot and killed a two-year-old boy, Noah Crookham, in 2008 -- was get ... More >>

Darrent Williams murder trial, day twelve: Another dismissed alternate juror would have voted to acquit

Prosecutors say Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams (left) was shot and killed by 26-year-old Willie Clark (right) on New Year's Day 2007.​ Westword is covering the trial of Willie Clark, accused of murdering Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early on New Year's Day 2007. The m ... More >>

Cory Voorhis hearing, day one: Fired ICE agent battles to get his job back, boss Tony Rouco fumbles again

Cory Voorhis is finally getting a chance to be heard.​Cory Voorhis, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who was fired for leaking information from a restricted database to Republican Bob Beauprez's 2006 gubernatorial campaign, began making his case to get his job back before a federa ... More >>

Erik Osborn found guilty, faces up to 24 years in prison

Here's looking at you, Erik Osborn.​We've chronicled the story of disgraced One Lincoln Park developer Erik Osborn, who was accused of stealing from partners such as "Dealing Doug" Moreland and talk-show host Tom "Lou from Littleton" Manoogian, in a May feature article and a series of blogs ac ... More >>

John Suthers buzzing on Stacy Clendenin medical-marijuana ruling

"Why is everyone getting so worked up over little ol' me?"​In September, Joel Warner wrote a blog entitled "Could Clendenin Case Deal a Blow to Colorado's Pot Biz?" Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, who's been trying to put the medical-marijuana genie back in the bottle, certainly hopes ... More >>

Alleged Zeus Pegasus International freakazoid David McCoy fighting extradition to Colorado on creepy sex charges

David McCoy's reported request of job applicants: "May I watch you shower?"​You remember David McCoy, right? According to the Boulder Police Department, McCoy says he operated a media business called (I'm not making this up) Zeus Pegasus International, and a while back, he advertised for a cam ... More >>

ACLU sues Denver for alleged false arrests during Democratic National Convention

Signs of recent times.​It's been a year since the Democratic National Convention took over this town -- and to mark that anniversary, the Colorado branch of the American Civil Liberties Union has taken two legal actions. In the first, an ACLU lawyer is representing eight people in a suit again ... More >>

Bad Execution

A judge removes DA Carol Chambers from a death-penalty case -- and blasts prosecution misconduct.