But Colorado Attorney General John Suthers is appealing the decision, apparently concerned about the implications of letting anybody off the hook, ever, for a juvenile conviction. "The ruling is a precedent, no question about it," says Ray Solot, Sweeney's attorney. "But it seems to me that Suthers would have something better to do."
For the whole story of Sweeney's journey through the valley of debt, read "A Fresh Start," from the May 4 issue. —Alan Prendergast