Author: Julia Cardi
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Denver approves paying $1 million to six people to settle lawsuits stemming from 2020 protests
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The Denver City Council on Monday approved six settlements totaling $1 million for three lawsuits brought by people who sued in federal court over the law enforcement response to the 2020 George Floyd protests. More than $900,000 will go to a group of four protesters, who filed the first lawsuit over the city’s response to…
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Colorado youth detention dilemma: Kids languish in lockup despite releasable status
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After his parents’ ongoing domestic violence issues forced him out of his home, a Colorado Springs 11-year-old struggling with developmental disabilities and speech impediments lashed out with violent tantrums against his grandmother who had taken custody of him. Kids in the Crossfire logo concepts Rather than receiving the therapeutic and mental health services his former lawyer…
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Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman sees 14% yearly increase in new cases
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Colorado’s office of the Child Protection Ombudsman opened 1,119 cases and closed 1,083 in the most recent fiscal year, the agency announced. The office oversees the effectiveness of Colorado’s state and local child welfare networks, according to its website. It’s independent from any state or local department of human services offices. Case closures increased 17%…
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Excessive force lawsuit against Denver police, Denver Health dismissed
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A federal judge in Denver has dismissed part of a lawsuit from a man who accused the police of beating him during an arrest in December 2020. Chief Judge Philip Brimmer threw out allegations that the city of Denver and Denver Health are responsible for violations of TreVion McKenzie’s constitutional rights when several officers held…
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Denver to pay nearly $5M settlement over curfew arrests during 2020 protests
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The costs of lawsuits filed in the wake of Denver’s 2020 protests continue to pile up. The Denver City Council approved paying $4.72 million Monday to settle claims representing hundreds of people arrested for violating an emergency curfew put in place by the city during the 2020 protests sparked by George Floyd’s murder by police…
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Lisa Calderón retaliation lawsuit against Denver and former city officials allowed to proceed
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A federal district court judge in Denver has allowed First Amendment retaliation and conspiracy claims against the city of Denver and several former officials to move forward. The lawsuit was brought by Lisa Calderón, a longtime Denver activist and candidate for mayor in 2019 and 2023. Calderón sued the city in 2018, claiming it retaliated…
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Accused Boulder mass shooter ‘competent’ to stand trial
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The man accused of killing 10 people in south Boulder’s King Soopers store in 2021 doesn’t currently have any condition or illness preventing him from being fit to stand trial, the Boulder County District Attorney’s office said on Wednesday. In a news release, the office said the court and attorneys received a competence re-evaluation report…
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Denver’s Citizen Oversight Board has one opening to fill
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The Denver City Council is seeking applications to fill a vacancy on the Citizen Oversight Board, the body that serves a civilian watchdog role over the city’s public safety agencies. The nine-member board can make recommendations about things such as policies and training involving safety officers, and also oversees the effectiveness of the Office of…
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Sentence enhancers dismissed against two officers in Elijah McClain case
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Prosecutors from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office dropped sentence-enhancing counts for assault charges against two Aurora police officers who face criminal charges connected to the 2019 death of Elijah McClain. The two officers, Randy Roedema and Jason Rosenblatt, still face charges of reckless manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide – a lesser, included charge to the manslaughter…
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27 trafficking victims saved in Colorado after crackdown operation
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The FBI and local Colorado law enforcement agencies recovered eight children and 19 adult victims of sex trafficking in July as part of Operation Cross Country, a yearly national crackdown, the FBI announced Wednesday. “Human trafficking, and especially sex trafficking for children, is a persistent and particularly destructive threat that causes unthinkable harm to the…