judge shay whitaker
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Appeals court overturns road rage murder conviction due to faulty jury instruction
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Colorado’s second-highest court overturned a defendant’s murder conviction on Thursday, concluding an Arapahoe County judge provided an incorrect self-defense instruction to the jury about the road rage encounter. In November 2020, Romeo Desean Thompson was behind Phillip Hunt at an intersection. The light turned green, but Hunt did not immediately move forward. Thompson honked, after…
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Appeals court clarifies evidence safeguards apply to child welfare caseworkers
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Colorado’s second-highest court clarified on Thursday that caseworkers testifying as experts in child neglect cases are subject to the same safeguards for reliability that other “specialized knowledge” testimony must satisfy. Under the rules of evidence, judges can deem a witness an expert by virtue of their knowledge, skills, experience, training or education. After being qualified,…
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Appeals court finds flaws with restitution orders in 2 criminal cases
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Colorado’s second-highest court last week overturned multiple orders, in whole or in part, for criminal defendants to pay financial restitution to their victims. In the first case out of Arapahoe County, Aron Sanchez was charged for two sets of crimes. He was accused of breaking into a vehicle to steal a stereo, after which his…
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Appeals court reverses 10-year sentence due to Arapahoe County judge’s error
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An Arapahoe County judge declined to give a key instruction to jurors in a man’s assault trial, prompting the state’s second-highest court to reverse the conviction and order a new trial. Luis Salinas-Martinez received a 10-year sentence after a jury convicted him in 2019 of assaulting his roommate. Although the offense was a class 4…
