Mark Ellis Case: Appeals Court Upholds Flawed Sex-Assault Conviction

In 2014 U.S. Senior District Judge Richard Matsch ordered the State of Colorado to retry Mark Ellis, convicted of sexual assault on his daughter, or release him within ninety days. Last week — almost thirty months after the judge’s order — a three-judge panel from the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals overruled Matsch and denied Ellis any relief.

Denver Bachelor Ben Higgins Splits From Fiancée Lauren Bushnell

Denver’s Ben Higgins, who gave up on a potential run for the state legislature over pressure from the producer of a reality TV series intended to build on the popularity he’d gained during his season starring in ABC’s The Bachelor, has broken up with Lauren Bushnell, his fiancee and co-star on both shows, including Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After?

Colorado Marijuana Sales Continue at Record Pace

Colorado’s marijuana industry reached $1.3 billion in sales in 2016, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. Earlier this month the Colorado Department of Revenue released the sales data for March, and it showed that for the tenth consecutive month, marijuana sales had surpassed $100 million. March’s total was a whopping $131.7 million, a new monthly record. And April’s numbers are bound to be good, too, because that sales period includes 4/20.

How Ed Greene’s Slow Retirement from CBS4 Turned Ugly

Longtime CBS4 weather forecaster Ed Greene is transitioning into a part-time role at the station, where he’s worked since 1981, with Lauren Whitney poised to replace him on the outlet’s highest-profile newscasts. But a station source tells Westword that what was portrayed by the Denver Post as a brusque dumping was actually a deliberate process negotiated over the course of a year with the full cooperation of Greene, whose evident displeasure over the plan left management feeling blindsided.

Steeped in New Traditions: The Fifth Annual Mother’s High Tea

Two days before Mother’s Day, Susan Squibb and her team at 4&20 Blackbirds hosted the fifth annual Mother’s High Tea, an event fit for a queen with beautifully prepared food, a stand-out group of speakers and such gourmet teas as Ginger Peach, Rose Oolong and Elegant Earl Grey. Neither the teas…

Taylor Swift, DJ David Mueller Fight Over CU Boulder Expert in Butt Groping Lawsuit

The latest development in dueling lawsuits between former KYGO personality David Mueller and pop star Taylor Swift over an alleged butt groping incident prior to a June 2013 concert at Denver’s Pepsi Center involves a court fight over Swift’s desire to use testimony from CU Boulder associate professor and gender studies expert Lorraine Bayard de Volo. According to a motion recently filed by the DJ’s legal team, Bayard de Volo “intends to opine that Mr. Mueller had the profile of a person likely to sexually assault women.”

Introducing Doug Robinson, Mitt Romney Nephew Running for Colorado Governor

Doug Robinson, the latest hopeful to announce for the 2018 Colorado governor’s race, is the nephew of Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and the 2012 Republican candidate for president. But Robinson is optimistic that his experience in the technology industry, his passion for issues such as education and his status as a political outsider will help him top the better-known candidates with whom he’s competing.

Inside Philippa McCully Jail Lawsuit, Tie to Sheriff Terry Maketa Sex Scandal

College coed Philippa “Pippa” McCully’s lawsuit claims that she was badly injured during a bizarre excessive-force episode at the El Paso County jail and then refused medical treatment for a knee injury severe enough to startle the team doctor for the Miami Dolphins. Video of the incident appears to confirm much of McCully’s account. But her attorney says the case has dragged on for more than a year in part because it took place during the administration of former El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa, a lawsuit defendant whose recent indictment on felony charges that include extortion and official misconduct arising from an alleged sex scandal involving at least three employees has complicated the situation immeasurably.

Reader: Jeanette Vizguerra Should Have Been Deported Years Ago

Though many people in Denver — and around the globe, for that matter — look to Jeanette Vizguerra, an undocumented mother-turned-activist, for inspiration, she’s got plenty of detractors, too, as we learned after Chris Walker wrote “Jeanette Vizguerra Will Stay in U.S. Until at Least 2019, Leaves Sanctuary.” Says Henry: How is…

Five Things to Know About Federal Marijuana Drug Cases

The U.S. Sentencing Commission has released its overview of 2016. Marijuana accounts for close to a quarter of federal drug cases, but this overview found that cannabis consumers typically have less serious criminal histories than users of other drugs. Reading through the report, we noted five interesting things: 1. Drug arrests…

Last-Minute Partisan Squabbling Blocks Oil Pipeline Safety Legislation

In the final days of the legislative session, state Democrats and Republicans blocked each others’ attempts to earn political kudos with oil pipeline safety legislation — though the two plans differed substantially in their aims. On Monday night, two days before the legislative session ended, House Republicans filibustered a bill…

Update: Inside the “Unprecedented” Ski-Lift Accident That Killed Kelly Huber

A just-released report about the ski lift accident that killed San Antonio mom Kelly Huber in December 2016 reveals that the culprit was an electronic drive whose failure raises concerns that go well beyond this single incident. Indeed, the 151-page document notes that “due to the unprecedented nature of this dynamic occurrence, continued investigation/analysis of this event will likely continue for years.”

Jeanette Vizguerra Will Stay in U.S. Until at Least 2019, Leaves Sanctuary

When Jeanette Vizguerra took sanctuary in the basement of the First Unitarian Society in mid February, the undocumented mother of four from Denver became one of the faces of resistance to President Trump and his platform of increased immigration enforcement. Vizguerra’s story has been carried by publications across the globe,…