el paso county
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Public figures have limited path to sue over accusations of criminality, says appeals court
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Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week that a public figure cannot sue for defamation solely because a person publicly accuses them of committing a crime, as the statement may be constitutionally protected opinion. A three-judge Court of Appeals panel narrowed the claims that Academy School District 20 board member Derrick Wilburn may pursue against Bernadette…
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Appeals court agrees defendant’s speech constitutionally protected against El Paso County judge
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Colorado’s second-highest court agreed last week that a defendant’s critical statements toward an El Paso County judge were constitutionally protected and could not form the basis of a retaliation charge. A three-judge Court of Appeals panel concluded that, in context, Ashley Hernandez’s brief confrontation with District Court Judge Diana May in a courthouse elevator did…
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Judge rejects motion in lawsuit against Palmer Lake mayor: ‘Weird situation’
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An El Paso County District Court has denied a request to freeze Dennis Stern’s role as mayor in Palmer Lake, calling the motion an overreach of judicial authority. In the denial, Judge David Prince said that a court interfering in the legislative actions of a municipality violated legal principles “that have been established for more…
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‘Housing mismatch’ improving in Colorado Springs, but residents losing purchasing power: Report
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Residents in Colorado Springs and El Paso County are losing purchasing power as average rental housing and home prices over the last decade have increased more than two to three times that of average incomes. At the same time, a “housing mismatch” between the types of homes being built in the area and the homes…
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El Paso County pushes back on Buc-ee’s rumors
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Addressing “significant public interest,” El Paso County released a statement on its website last week saying that planning staff have not received an application for a Buc-ee’s. “A project such as the construction of a Buc-ee’s does require a transparent public process,” read the statement. The county’s note addressed rumors around a land application opened…
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Divided appeals court reverses murder convictions due to faulty self-defense instruction
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Colorado’s second-highest court concluded last week that an incomplete self-defense instruction required the reversal of an El Paso County defendant’s murder convictions. Demetrius Montez Martin was among those present late at night at a club in Colorado Springs. An argument ensued and Martin got in his vehicle and drove off. Someone fired multiple gunshots in…
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Federal judge allows some claims to proceed over denial of cancer meds in El Paso County jail
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A federal judge allowed claims to proceed last week against some medical and sheriff’s office employees at the El Paso County jail over their alleged failure to ensure a detainee received his cancer medication during four months of incarceration. Stuart Patrick McLaney was in the county jail between March-July 2023. He has chronic myeloid leukemia,…
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Colorado Supreme Court accepts cases about reliability of gun-to-bullet matching
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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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El Paso County considers program for roadside memorials
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Roadside memorials can be a poignant reminder on a daily commute: Be cautious because someone died here. This year, El Paso County is considering creating an official way to commemorate lives lost on the roadway. The program, if approved, would be recommended to people contacting the county interested in a memorial. The proposed program would…
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Judge expected to decide Monday whether to accept latest plea agreements for Hallfords
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An El Paso County judge is expected to decide Monday whether to accept new negotiations that would extend the prison sentence for Jon and Carie Hallford, coming on the heels of the court rejecting the original plea agreements for the owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home. The new agreements would see the Hallfords…
