criminal justice
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Colorado legislature unanimously OKs expanding post-conviction DNA testing
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In the 20 years since Colorado’s post-conviction DNA testing law was established, only three people have been exonerated for DNA-related reasons. Colorado lawmakers want to change that with House Bill 1034, an effort to expand access to post-conviction DNA testing. The state legislature unanimously approved the bill on Wednesday with the Senate’s final vote. Now, the…
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Lawmakers seek to give child victims, witnesses of crimes anonymity in public records
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Eight months ago, 17-year-old Riley Whitelaw was murdered in the break room of the Colorado Springs Walgreens, where she worked. The horrific details of the crime, allegedly committed by an adult co-worker who Riley had previously complained against, quickly consumed state and national news. In a matter of days, many of Riley’s relatives, friends and…
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Colorado bill would reduce prison sentences for inmates pursuing higher education
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Colorado has among the worst recidivism rates in the country, with over 50% of people released from prison ending up back behind bars within three years. Lawmakers want to change that with House Bill 1037. If passed into law, the bill would deduct one year from an inmate’s prison sentence for every associate, bachelor’s or…
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House unanimously approves expanding post-conviction DNA testing in Colorado
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Robert “Rider” Dewey spent nearly 18 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Dewey was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a 19-year-old Palisade woman in 1994. Dewey said he repeatedly requested DNA testing while in prison but was denied for years until connecting with the Innocence Project in…
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Bills advance to prevent police lying to minors, expand DNA testing, limit prison restraints
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The House Judiciary Committee advanced a series of bills Tuesday that seek to prevent police from lying to minors, expand post-conviction DNA testing and limit the use of restraints in prisons. If passed by the full state legislature, House Bill 1042 would make any statements obtained by juveniles during interrogations inadmissible in court if law…
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Advocates diametrically disagree on imprisonment’s role in response to fentanyl crisis
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Fighting through tears, Jessica Chavez recounted before a panel of Colorado lawmakers how her daughter, Yesenia, fatally overdosed in July after taking a fentanyl pill she thought was Percocet. Before her death, Yesi, as her friends called her, had texted her family’s pastor, Chavez told lawmakers. The 21-year-old told him that she wanted “to do…
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Senate OKs keeping people with behavioral health disorders out of criminal justice system
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The Colorado Senate approved legislation Monday to prevent people with mental health issues from entering the criminal justice system, instead sending them to treatment centers to address their needs. If enacted, Senate Bill 10 would expand statewide an existing pilot program that assesses individuals when they’re booked for low-level offenses before any charges are filed.…
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Senate panel advances remedy for immigration consequences of guilty pleas
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A Senate panel unanimously advanced legislation Thursday that, if enacted, would allow immigrants who plead guilty to certain crimes a way to remedy resulting immigration consequences. Senate Bill 103 would let criminal defendants challenge their guilty pleas for municipal offenses and class 1 or 2 misdemeanors if they had not been advised of the immigration…
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Colorado legislature unanimously OKs expansions to witness intimidation law
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The Colorado legislature unanimously approved a bill that, if enacted, would expand protections of the state’s witness intimidation law. The state House of Representatives advanced the bipartisan legislation in a final 64-0 vote on Tuesday, following the state Senate’s unanimous vote last month. The bill will now be sent to Gov. Jared Polis for final…
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Senate panel advances bill to automatically seal non-violent criminal records
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Harley Blakeman became homeless at the age of 16. His father died and his mother, who was addicted to drugs, pushed young Blakeman onto the streets. By the time he was 19, Blakeman had been arrested multiple times and ended up serving 14 months in prison for a non-violent drug charge. After he was released…