Murderers across Colorado are now entitled to hang out in our communities thanks solely to a murderer-friendly law signed by Gov. Jared Polis. Earlier this week, the Colorado Supreme Court reminded our state of the predictable, predicted and intended consequence of Polis’s 2020 repeal of capital punishment: bail for all murderers.

Colorado’s Constitution has long held the denial of bail for murderers was predicated on murder being a potential capital crime – “capital” meaning capable of resulting in a death sentence – as well as a showing by the government that the proof was evident and the presumption great that the accused committed first degree murder. For as long as anyone can remember, accused cold-blooded murderers have been denied bail pending their trials, which has worked to both ensure their appearance at trial (because those facing life in prison may not want to hear what the jury has to say about their murderous conduct), and protect the community from folks who have nothing left to lose by committing more crimes, including additional murders. Without intervention by Polis and the legislature, those days are over.

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Here is how this plays out until Colorado’s broken laws are changed: A calculated and cold-blooded murderer of some innocent Coloradan is now entitled to be free on bail pending their trial for murder. Polis and the Democrats in the General Assembly made sure that such a person gets bail and can be free in our community. If convicted, they will serve LWOP (Life WithOut Parole). While awaiting that life sentence, the murderer can seek to murder any and every witness against them, including children, or murder the prosecutor or judge in their case, and they will never face more than the exact same LWOP sentence. They can also kill the police who try to arrest them on their second batch of murders with not one change to their ultimate sentence.

Worse yet, the accused murderer out on bail can commit countless additional “non-violent” crimes – such as burglary, drug dealing, menacing with a gun, sexual assault on a child, arson and many others – and still be entitled to bail. This is 100% attributable to actions by Polis, 2020 lawmakers, and the radical Colorado ACLU who pulled their strings.

Bail is set within 48 hours of the murderer’s arrest. Kill a spouse on a Friday, be home before Monday Night Football.

That is Colorado justice under our current state “leadership.”

There are likely (yet-untabulated) dozens – perhaps hundreds – of cold-blooded murderers awaiting trial who will now rush to court to demand bail, and they will get it, thanks to Polis and the Dems’ law. Both the Club Q (El Paso County) and King Soopers (Boulder) mass murderers are entitled to bail until and unless they are convicted. You read that correctly. Polis’s law results in bail for mass murderers, killers of children, torture murderers, cop and judge killers, and every other type of murderer – even if they live-stream themselves committing their crimes while confessing.

To be certain, Polis and the Freedom for Killers crowd cannot claim surprise at this ruling. It was never a close call. The ruling was so obvious based upon Polis’s law, the Supreme Court decision was unanimous. The Supremes declared the Constitution’s language “plain and unambiguous.” Remember the repeal of the death penalty did not have to be passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature and signed into law by our Democrat Governor. The legislature could have sent this important issue to the ballot, much like they have done even this year. It is ironic the legislature has sent the death penalty for TABOR refunds (Proposition HH) to Coloradans for their vote, but withheld from those same voters the decision about the death penalty for the worst of the worst murderers among us.

There are questions no member of the mainstream media in Colorado has asked. To Polis, did you know your law would result in murderers out on our streets on bail? If not, on whom did you rely for your legal advice before signing this law? To Attorney General Phil Weiser: do you agree those accused of cold-blooded murder – even mass murderers – should get bail? Did you lobby the legislature against this outcome, and if not, why not? What advice did you give Polis before he assured this outcome? To the legislature at the time – including now-Congresswomen Brittany Peterson and Yadira Caraveo – are you happy with this outcome? Do you think the Constitution should be amended to fix this? Why did you vote for this without telling voters you were championing freedom for murderers?

No Coloradan who follows the local news really expects the big media types to ask these questions, let alone doggedly pursue answers from the Democrats who made this happen, but maybe they will find a way to whisper-ask “what now?”

In their unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court hinted at what must be done to fix Polis’s mess. Coloradans “may seek to amend the Constitution, as they have before.” The chances Polis will call a special session of the legislature to address this, or for our legislature to actually send a fix to voters, is lower than your chances of being killed by someone free on bond for murder.

There is one simple solution to all this that does not require a Constitutional amendment or the criminal-loving General Assembly: a citizen initiative to bring back the death penalty.

George Brauchler is the former district attorney for the 18th Judicial District. He also is an?Owens Early Criminal Justice Fellow at the Common Sense Institute and?president of the Advance Colorado Academy, which identifies, trains and connects conservative leaders in Colorado. He hosts The George Brauchler Show on 710KNUS Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter: @GeorgeBrauchler.