trial
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Appeals court reverses convictions after finding Denver prosecutors committed misconduct
Denver prosecutors improperly suggested to jurors that a defendant was guilty because he invoked his constitutional right against warrantless searches and seizures, and also improperly pressured jurors to “do justice” for the victim, the state’s Court of Appeals found by a 2-1 decision. The three-judge panel for the appellate court further decided that state law…
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Colorado courts call off jury trials as COVID-19 infections surge
At least half a dozen of the state’s 22 judicial districts have temporarily halted jury trials, owing to the highly contagious omicron variant and the resulting explosion of COVID-19 infections in Colorado. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s latest data reported roughly 5,700 new cases of COVID-19, with over 10,000 deaths since the…
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COVER STORY | A Rittenhouse acquittal in Colorado? Longstanding self-defense laws would allow it
A young man being pursued down the street attempted to evade his attacker, asking to be left alone until the last possible minute, when he killed the aggressor. The killer could be Kyle Rittenhouse, the then-17-year-old who shot two men and wounded a third in the streets of Kenosha, Wisc. following days of racial justice…
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New trial ordered after El Paso County judge let biased juror serve
An El Paso County judge violated a man’s right to an impartial jury by allowing a woman to serve who indicated she would hold the defendant’s silence against him, the Court of Appeals has determined. Brendan Patrick-Harold Bonner was convicted of felony trespass and misdemeanor obstructing a peace officer, for which he received probation and…
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Appeals court finds Arapahoe prosecutor misstated law, reverses murder convictions
An Arapahoe County prospector misstated the law to a jury, prompting the Court of Appeals to label her actions misconduct and order a new trial for the defendant. Kenneth Michael Kaminga stood trial in 2018 for the killings of Aaron Williams and Javier Gaytan in Aurora. Kaminga told his girlfriend, “I murdered two people tonight,” and…