judge michael spear
-
Colorado justices weigh ‘cascade of errors’ in Arapahoe County murder trial
—
by
There was no dispute that Terrence G. Davis died by gunshot in an Aurora alleyway in 2017. At the trial of Davis’ suspected killer, jurors reached two conclusions. First, they believed he was guilty of second-degree murder for causing Davis’ death. Second, they were asked whether the defendant used a gun. No, said the jury, he…
-
Arapahoe County jurors disregarded instructions, gave incoherent murder verdict, appeals court finds
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court agreed last month that Arapahoe County jurors disobeyed their instructions, produced a verdict that did not make sense and, as a result, the defendant’s murder conviction must be overturned. However, the three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals disagreed over who bore the most blame for the contradictory verdict and whether Jacob Alexander…
-
Appeals court upholds convictions despite trial judge’s ‘inappropriate expressions of annoyance’
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court upheld a man’s Arapahoe County convictions last month, despite voicing concerns about the trial judge’s confrontational behavior toward defense counsel. Brandon John Conlon stood trial in 2020 for three charges related to filing a false sexual harassment report against security officers. A jury found him guilty. During the trial, then-District Court Judge…
-
Arapahoe County prosecutors’ misconduct prompts appeals court to reverse convictions
—
by
Misconduct from Arapahoe County prosecutors and a trial judge’s refusal to provide a key jury instruction prompted Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday to overturn a man’s bank robbery convictions. In 2019, jurors convicted Steven Dudley Smith of robbery, menacing and kidnapping charges related to four bank robberies. Although police caught Smith at the scene of…
-
Appeals court overturns convictions of mentally ill man who represented himself
—
by
An Arapahoe County judge improperly allowed a mentally ill man to represent himself at trial, stating explicitly that the defendant was “making no sense whatsoever” before letting him proceed alone, Colorado’s second highest court ruled in ordering a new trial. Then-District Court Judge Michael Spear attempted to convince David Antonio Ruffin that he would be…
-
Colorado appeals court says judges not required to ask jurors about race, instruct on implicit bias
—
by
For the first time, Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday ruled that trial judges do not have to ask jurors to disclose their race and ethnicity, nor do they need to caution jurors about implicit bias – although there is nothing preventing judges from taking those steps, either. The U.S. Supreme Court recognized nearly four decades ago…
