insanity
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Colorado Supreme Court rules technical oversight does not imperil Denver murder conviction
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The Colorado Supreme Court decided on Monday that no specific procedure is required to designate a witness as an expert at trial, and the fact that a trial judge neglected to do so in front of the jury did not warrant reversal of a man’s murder conviction. Denver jurors convicted Pete Paul Martinez of stabbing 77-year-old Lewis Easterday to…
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Technical oversight or key error? Colorado justices weigh reversal of Denver murder conviction
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The Colorado Supreme Court appeared doubtful on Tuesday that the failure to formally designate a witness as an expert in front of the jury rose to the level of mistake that would require a new murder trial for the defendant. Denver jurors convicted Pete Paul Martinez of stabbing 77-year-old Lewis Easterday to death near Cheesman Park in 2016. Martinez…
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State Supreme Court abandons case questioning constitutionality of mental health law
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In an unusual move taken days after hearing oral arguments, the Colorado Supreme Court announced it will not render a decision after all on the constitutionality of a state law governing mental health commitments for criminal defendants. Last May, the justices agreed to consider the appeal of John Salvadore Cruz, who was acquitted of murder in…
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Rights of mentally ill defendants under scrutiny of state Supreme Court
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A combination of factors made the case of Ari Misha Liggett unusual, including the crime for which he was convicted: poisoning and dismembering his mother in October 2012. But Liggett is now trying to convince the Colorado Supreme Court the criminal prosecution against him has broader implications for whether mentally ill defendants have a right…
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Colorado’s justices take on five cases, ranging from insanity defense to oil and gas
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Five more cases made it onto the Colorado Supreme Court’s docket last week, implicating the insanity defense, the right of the accused to question alternate suspects at trial, and disputes over oil and gas production. At least three of the seven members of the court must agree to hear a case in order for the…
