In 1987, Colorado woman Peggy Hettrick was murdered and sexually mutilated. In 2008, the man Larimer County thought was her murderer was released from prison. Timothy Masters completed 10 years of his life sentence, a sentence that, as it turns out, Masters did not...
Current Topics in the News
Colorado’s Sentencing Laws for Drug Crimes Under Review
Mandatory sentencing in Colorado for drug crimes is meant to crack down on criminal behavior and keep dangerous, repeat offenders off of the streets. But what does the Colorado community do when mandatory sentencing infringes on the legal system's ability to think...
Denver Mall Sets the Stage for Violent Crimes
The 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver is a hot spot for summer shopping, dining and entertainment. May, however, has brought up a familiar problem of violent crimes pervading the walkways of the outdoor mall. Four assaults took place at the mall in just this past...
Study: Minority Kids Treated Unfairly in Colorado’s Legal System
The Colorado Independent and members of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar recently attempted a study that would reveal the demographic details of the Colorado youths who are tried as adults for drug crimes, violent crimes and other various offenses. Their...
NEW ROADSIDE TEST REARS ITS HEAD
This new device is similar to a preliminary breath test given to those suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol. However, this device is specifically designed to test for drugs in the system of drivers suspected of driving under the influence of drugs....
It is important to keep up to date on changes in the law.
For example, it's been the law in Colorado that if you have a felony drug conviction, including a felony deferred sentence to a drug charge that is reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles, then your driver's license is suspended. This, of course, makes it very...
How many courts can one city have?!
So you just got a ticket and you are being told to appear in the municipal court and not the local county court. So what on earth is the difference and purpose between the courts? Article XX of the Colorado Constitution provides for the creation of municipal courts...
I, like many of you, frequently read the Denver Post
Lately, I have been seeing a lot of articles on Driving Under the Influence (DUI) charges. I'm sure you have noticed them as well. However, without being the criminal justice system day in and day out, like a criminal defense attorney, one may not understand the far...
Ward Churchill v. The University of Colorado
Recently in the news there has been a lot of coverage on the case of Ward Churchill v. The University of Colorado. As an alumnus of the University of Boulder, I, like many, have been glued to the television, and internet to gain as much information about the case as...
O. J. Simpson, did he get what he deserved?
In the news recently was the sentencing of Orenthal James Simpson, more commonly known as O.J. Simpson. As a defense attorney, what kept striking me was all the talk of the sentencing having been coming for thirteen years. As if Mr. Simpson was finally being brought...