judge keri yoder
-
Colorado justices weigh potentially faulty jury instruction in child abuse case
—
by
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court questioned on Tuesday whether a San Miguel County jury convicted a defendant of child abuse resulting in death, even though the instructions potentially allowed jurors to avoid finding that the child abuse resulted in death. Previously, the state’s Court of Appeals reversed the convictions and 64-year prison sentence of…
-
Defendant’s ‘extreme religious beliefs’ did not render her incompetent, appeals court rules
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court decided last week that a defendant’s “extreme religious beliefs” did not render her incompetent to proceed, nor did they invalidate her decision to represent herself at trial. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals did not believe Ika Eden had any mental health issues that interfered with her ability to understand…
-
Colorado Supreme Court to review case of spiritual leader found guilty of child abuse
—
by
The Colorado Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will review whether the Court of Appeals correctly overturned a woman’s felony convictions for child abuse resulting in death due to an inadequate jury instruction. Hannah Marshall, 8, and Makayla Roberts, 10, were discovered dead and decomposing in a vehicle located on Frederick “Alec” Blair’s Norwood farm…
-
Felony child abuse convictions overturned in high-profile case due to instruction error
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court reversed a woman’s felony convictions for child abuse resulting in death last month after concluding the instructions that a San Miguel County judge provided the jury did not include the necessary language. Hannah Marshall, 8, and Makayla Roberts, 10, were discovered dead and decomposing in a vehicle located on Frederick “Alec” Blair’s Norwood…
-
Appeals court declines to open door to challenges of already-final convictions
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday declined to apply a major state Supreme Court decision retroactively and enable more people to challenge their criminal convictions. In 2022, the Supreme Court issued Rojas v. People – a decision that eliminated a “troublesome relic” from the rules of evidence. Known as the “res gestae” doctrine, it enabled prosecutors to introduce evidence…
