Tag: arapahoe county
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Schoolchildren’s presence at child sex-related trial did not harm Arapahoe County defendant, appeals court says
Colorado’s second-highest court decided on Thursday that the presence of a group of schoolchildren on the first day of a child sexual exploitation trial did not violate an Arapahoe County defendant’s constitutional right to a fair trial. Prosecutors charged Jerry Lee Stinnett with two counts related to the possession of sexually abusive material involving children.…
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Colorado Supreme Court accepts child neglect, unlawful search appeals
The Colorado Supreme Court recently announced that it will decide whether a series of missteps led an El Paso County judge to improperly terminate a father’s parental rights, and whether a police officer defendant bears the burden of proving that his warrantless vehicle search was legally justified. At least three of the court’s seven members…
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Appeals court reverses conviction after judge blocked questioning about witness’s criminal charges
An Arapahoe County judge violated a defendant’s constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him by blocking the defense from asking a witness about her own pending criminal charges in the same jurisdiction, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week. Prosecutors charged Jose Garcia Valdivia with multiple counts of assault and felony menacing. Garcia allegedly got…
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Appeals court reverses assault convictions after jury received no definition of ‘harm’
Colorado’s second-highest court reversed an Arapahoe County defendant’s assault convictions last week, concluding the trial judge neglected to define a key, ambiguous term for jurors. Police officers arrested David Cristobal Aragon at a house party for allegedly violating a restraining order, but he had a series of seizure-like episodes that required transportation to the hospital.…
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First-degree murder charge filed against Centennial 11-year-old accused of killing 5-year-old brother
The 11-year-old Centennial boy accused of killing his 5-year-old brother has been formally charged with first-degree murder, according to the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office. The formal charge was filed Monday in addition to an aggravated juvenile offender charge, according to Eric Ross, a spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office. Ross said the boy has…
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Centennial boy held on suspicion of murder in death of 5-year-old brother
An 11-year-old Centennial boy was taken into custody and is being held on suspicion of murder in the death of his 5-year-old brother, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. Deputies responded to a call at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 5200 block of South Jericho Street, where a 5-year-old boy had died in…
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Colorado Supreme Court accepts cases about reliability of gun-to-bullet matching
The Colorado Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will hear two cases questioning the reliability of expert testimony that purports to identify whether a specific bullet was fired from a specific gun. At least three of the court’s seven members must agree to take up a case on appeal. There is currently one vacancy,…
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Arapahoe County law enforcement improperly obtained confidential medical records, justices find
Law enforcement in Arapahoe County improperly obtained a criminal defendant’s confidential medical records and cannot use them in her child abuse prosecution, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday. The justices also declined to say whether the body-worn camera footage of a police officer who was present during the defendant’s treatment was similarly protected by…
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Divided appeals court overturns defendant’s $350,000 restitution obligation
Colorado’s second-highest court overturned a defendant’s obligation to pay nearly $350,000 in crime victim restitution last week because an Arapahoe County judge issued the restitution order beyond the legal deadline. The divided decision of a three-judge Court of Appeals panel is the latest illustration of the struggle some judges continue to have with Colorado’s restitution…
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Convicted Colorado killer gets more prison time after death of Limon inmate
A man who was previously convicted of murder in Arapahoe County was sentenced to additional four-plus more decades behind bars for the bludgeoning and strangulation death of a fellow inmate at the Limon Correctional Facility, according to a news release by the 23rd Judicial District. Arthur Price, 40, killed 65-year-old inmate Paul Hack in a…