The atmosphere prior to the final vote casting on one specific matter before the Denver City Council last Monday was tense. Council president Jolon Clark made a pre-tally statement that subject matter deliberations were “tearing all of us apart.” The final vote certainly reflected that. In what one media report
A nonprofit group recently released a criminal law-focused report that is attracting considerable attention nationally. An article by The Marshall Project focusing upon that study notes that states across the country are “evenly split” on how they view and treat its subject matter. The spotlighted topic is this: law enforcers’
We note on our website at the established Denver criminal defense firm of Shazam Kianpour & Associates a bedrock legal canon of American law. It addresses the prosecutorial role, and is both direct and simple. We duly stress that the government must prove an alleged criminal offender’s guilt “beyond a
An admitted robber gave the FBI cellphone numbers of alleged accomplices. Agents used a “reasonable grounds” standard to obtain so-called “cell-site” evidence from a mobile service provider that tracked the locations of one of those individuals. That data yielded information resulting in his criminal conviction. And then the legal challenges
It’s been a bedrock legal principle and undisturbed judicial ruling issued at the highest level for well more than half a century, and yet news stories emerge with some regularity evidencing prosecutorial misconduct aimed at avoiding its application. “It” is the so-called Brady Rule, forth by the U.S. Supreme Court
According to advisory committee members who spent months revising the Denver Police Department’s recommended use-of-force policies, the suggestions were generally good in an overall sense. They were just too vague and didn’t go nearly far enough to instill public confidence. In contrast, the committee’s recently submitted proposals go a good
Thanks to Amendment 64, Coloradans over the age of 21 can now possess one ounce of less or marijuana for personal use without having to fear criminal prosecution under Colorado law. Unfortunately, though, drug-sniffing dogs may not have received this memo — meaning many may have to be retrained, particularly
When police pulled you over, it may have been because your taillight was out or you forgot to use a turn signal when you changed lanes. However, even if it was something more serious, like running a stop sign or speeding, you may have been surprised and confused when the
We all have our favorite television crime drama and we’ve all heard these words: “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. you have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an
Recently I read an article which described why different lawyers truly love being a lawyer. Reading the article I was energized with all the emotion that spurred me to pursue this calling. This “calling”… The word echoes of a different generation. A generation that took pride in their work. A
