Author: Lance Benzel
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ACLU files lawsuit against El Paso County sheriff over record COVID-19 outbreak at jail
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save As the coronavirus swept through Colorado’s penal institutions, El Paso County jail inmates went months without access to masks, even facing threats of discipline if they tried to use bed sheets or underwear as face coverings, the ACLU of Colorado said Sunday in a class-action…
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Colorado inmates, relatives call coronavirus a death sentence, urge more early releases
At 84 years old, Anthony Martinez is nearly blind and deaf. He can no longer walk on his own and his kidneys are failing. He struggles to write his own name, his niece says, a sign of brain deterioration after more than 30 years in prison. And though he seemingly poses little threat to anyone,…
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No ‘contempt’ sentencing today for public defender who refused to go to trial during pandemic
A public defender found in contempt of court for refusing to go to trial, citing the risk of coronavirus transmissions in court, will learn his penalty next month. Fourth Judicial District Judge Robert Lowrey, who imposed the sanction against Adam Steigerwald in late October, rescheduled the sentencing hearing for Jan. 25. The postponement, initially approved…
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Juror’s negative COVID test averts mistrial in 2017 murders of Colorado Springs teens
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save A juror whose illness led to a three-day pause at the trial of a man accused in the 2017 killings of two Coronado High School students has tested negative for COVID-19, averting a potential mistrial, a state courts spokesman confirmed. The case against Marco Garcia-Bravo…
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Man suspected of attempted murder after breaking into ex-wife’s Colorado Springs home, police say
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save A man was jailed on suspicion of attempted murder early Sunday after he broke into his ex-wife’s home and fired a gun during a confrontation, Colorado Springs police said. Police say David Barnes, 34, was still inside and started fighting with the woman’s friend as…
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Prosecution of double-slaying suspect stalled by coronavirus obstacles
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The prosecution of a Colorado Springs man arrested in March on suspicion of fatally shooting his estranged wife before stabbing her mother to death has been at a standstill for eight months, repeatedly delayed by pandemic-related obstacles. A judge Monday again postponed a key court…
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Largest fire in Colorado history 100% contained, authorities say
The Cameron Peak fire near Fort Collins — the largest wildfire in state history — was declared 100% contained Wednesday evening. The record-setting blaze burned for 112 days, authorities said. “We have all traveled a long road together; this evening, we breathe a collective sigh of relief with you. Rest well tonight,” a fire spokesman said…
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Feds rule out death penalty for Planned Parenthood shooter Dear
Federal prosecutors will not pursue the death penalty against admitted Planned Parenthood shooter Robert Lewis Dear Jr., the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday. The decision — relayed without explanation in a one-sentence legal filing — comes days after the five-year anniversary of the Nov. 27, 2015, rampage at Colorado Springs’ lone Planned Parenthood clinic, which…
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No plea deals for Colorado Springs protesters who blocked interstate traffic, prosecutor says
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Prosecutors will not offer plea bargains to more than a dozen people cited with misdemeanors after allegedly blocking traffic on Interstate 25 during a protest in June. An El Paso County prosecutor confirmed during a brief Tuesday hearing for one of the protesters that the…
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Juror’s symptoms lead to potential mistrial for alleged killer of Colorado Springs teens
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save A juror’s apparent illness again raised the specter of a mistrial Tuesday for Marco Garcia-Bravo, an alleged gunman in the 2017 execution-style killings of two Colorado Springs teenagers. Fourth Judicial District Judge David A. Shakes suspended testimony for the rest of the week, saying the…