judge lin billings vela
-
Appeals court overturns convictions after judge improperly accepted facts as undisputed
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court reversed a defendant’s convictions and 12-year prison sentence earlier this month after an El Paso County judge did not require prosecutors to prove key facts that were subject to dispute after all. Prosecutors charged Noel Lavertt King Jr. with numerous offenses after he entered the victim’s home and assaulted her. Among the…
-
El Paso County judge wrongly dismissed case after victim failed to show, appeals court rules
—
by
An El Paso County judge incorrectly dismissed a domestic violence case after the alleged victim did not appear on the morning of trial, when she should have instead granted the prosecution’s request to issue a warrant, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week. Under the rules of criminal procedure, a judge “shall issue” a warrant for…
-
Colorado Supreme Court clarifies juvenile defendants can immediately appeal competency findings
—
by
When a magistrate decides whether a juvenile defendant is competent to stand trial, that determination is appealable to a judge right away, Colorado’s Supreme Court ruled on Monday. Addressing a question it had never before answered, the court acknowledged there would be significant consequences if a child were to proceed to trial despite actually being…