montezuma county
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Oil, gas tax law under consideration by Colorado Supreme Court
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The Colorado Supreme Court stepped in this week to clarify whether the owners of a Montezuma County oil and gas formation have the opportunity to challenge a retroactive $2 million increase to their collective property tax bill. The underlying sequence of events already made its way to the justices once in 2017, when the court…
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Appeals court reverses Cortez man’s conviction for judge’s failure to give home defense instruction
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There was enough evidence to support the theory that Shane Dean Darrell French was acting in defense of his home when he threatened his parole officer, Colorado’s second-highest court determined last week. Therefore, a Montezuma County judge acted improperly by failing to instruct the jury about the state’s home defense law. By a 2-1 decision,…
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Appeals court declines to overturn convictions after jurors had contact with defendant’s family
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Even though two Montezuma County jurors had contact with the defendant’s family during trial in a manner that made one juror feel “nervous” and “uneasy,” the state’s Court of Appeals has declined to reverse the convictions. As part of a criminal defendant’s right to a fair trial, jurors are prohibited from considering information that is…
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Drought along a Colorado river calls for extreme efforts to enforce water laws: A badge and a gun
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CORTEZ – There’s an adage among Western farmers, ranchers and outlaws that has been uttered through generations of disappointment and joy: “Whiskey’s for drinking and water’s for fighting over.” And water scarcity driven by drastic climate-change along the Dolores River in southwest Colorado has been a real jaw-grinder for folks who bear a century’s worth…
