Tag: judge charlotte sweeney
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Federal judge dismisses excessive force lawsuit against Colorado Springs, officer
A federal judge concluded last week that a Colorado Springs police officer could not be held liable for shooting a suspect three times after the man menaced two victims with a gun and fled the scene. Al’morion Germany was involved in an altercation inside Nova nightclub around midnight in June 2024 that spilled onto the…
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Fort Collins officers who allegedly used taser on unarmed man in underwear to face jury trial
A federal judge green-lit a jury trial this month against multiple Fort Collins police officers on claims that they used excessive force on one man who was standing unarmed in his underwear and retaliated against another man for exercising his First Amendment right to record video. Several Fort Collins police officers converged late one night…
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Federal judge allows retaliation claims to proceed against prison officials
A federal judge agreed last week that a man incarcerated at Sterling Correctional Facility had credibly alleged that employees retaliated against him for filing grievances, including by taking away his disability accommodations and turning off his electricity. Louis Peoples Jr., 72, has visual and mobility impairments, plus a heart condition, diabetes, and susceptibility to seizures.…
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Federal judge rejects constitutional claims, ‘expressions of hatred’ by Club Q defendant
A federal judge rejected a defendant’s claims that he received constitutionally ineffective assistance of counsel while facing federal hate crime and firearms charges for murdering five people at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub in 2022. Anderson Lee Aldrich is serving multiple lifetime sentences in prison on state murder charges, plus an effective life sentence for…
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Secret orders, requests for recusal bog down Colorado’s death penalty prosecution
Colorado’s only criminal case in which federal prosecutors are actively pursuing the death penalty has taken unusual turns in recent weeks, with defense attorneys continuing to challenge the judge’s ability to hear the case and the judge issuing orders not available for public viewing. Ishmael Petty stands accused of killing a fellow inmate at the…
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10th Circuit agrees paramedic, officer not liable for constitutional violations in man’s death
The Denver-based federal appeals court decided on Monday that a Colorado Springs paramedic and police officer could not be held liable for constitutional violations for their roles in restraining a man in a mental health crisis, leading to his death. Kevin Dizmang’s surviving daughter alleged that paramedic Nick Fischer used excessive force on Dizmang in…
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Federal judge declines to recuse from death penalty case after Supermax visit
A federal judge declined to recuse herself last month from a death penalty case arising out of Colorado’s “Supermax” prison, finding that her tour of the facility earlier this year did not bias her decision-making. U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney is presiding over the federal murder prosecution of Ishmael Petty, who is accused…
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10th Circuit tosses Pueblo County sheriff defendants’ appeal in fatal shooting lawsuit
The Denver-based federal appeals court rejected an attempt from Pueblo County sheriff’s employees on Wednesday to rely on their own version of the facts to escape liability for fatally shooting an unarmed man outside a middle school. A trial judge ruled last year that the defendants were not entitled to qualified immunity, a judicially created…
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Judge approves injunction for Colorado Springs counselor after SCOTUS rules in conversion therapy case
A federal judge last week blocked Colorado from enforcing its restriction on conversion therapy for LGBTQ children against a Colorado Springs counselor, after both sides agreed that the state will not pursue professional disciplinary action while the case proceeds. The formalization of a preliminary injunction came days after one appellate judge argued that the Denver-based…
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Corrections officials may be sued for employee’s alleged abuse of detainee, federal judge rules
High-level corrections officials may be sued for their own alleged failures to prevent or respond to an employee’s sexual misconduct toward a detainee, a federal judge decided last month. Rajae Bouhamidi was incarcerated at the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility. In late 2022, corrections officer Justin Torres allegedly began to sexually harass her. Eventually, he ordered…