Tag: Jefferson County
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Public warned after multiple pets attacked by mountain lions in Colorado
Local authorities in Jefferson County are warning the public to protect pets following two confirmed mountain lion attacks that took place over the past month, along with another suspected attack. Per a February 4 report from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the confirmed attacks occurred within roughly six miles from each other near South Deer…
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Christopher Zenisek, trial judge experienced with high-profile cases | SUPREME COURT FINALISTS
After the Marshall fire burned through Boulder County in the final days of 2021 and wound up destroying more than 1,000 homes, the sprawling 4,000-plaintiff litigation was assigned to District Court Judge Christopher Zenisek of Jefferson County. Zenisek would go on to issue more than 100 orders, hold dozens of hearings and, ultimately, much of…
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Jeffco saw largest increase in homelessness rate in metro area last year
Jefferson County saw the highest increase in the rate of homelessness in the metro area, though Denver still dwarfed its neighbor’s total number of homeless people. Jeffco saw a 27% increase in homelessness from 2024 to 2025 — the largest increase within the metro, according to Kerry Wrenick, regional homeless coordinator for the county. Those…
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Second suspect sentenced in 2022 fatal Lakewood apartment fire
The 15-year-old boy charged with murdering a mother and daughter in an apartment fire years ago was finally sentenced last week. Jefferson County District Judge Lindsay VanGilder sentenced the juvenile to a maximum sentence of seven years in the Colorado Department of Human Services Division of Youth Services (DYS) on Jan. 29, ending a lengthy…
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Man sentenced to 13 years in prison for Golden police officer’s death
Stephen Geer, the man responsible for the death of 33-year-old Golden police officer Evan Dunn — the first on-duty death in the Golden Police Department’s history — was sentenced to 13 years in prison on Wednesday. Geer pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault in October. Police, firefighters…
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Ex-Jeffco school psychologist convicted in child sex assault case
A Jefferson County jury found a former psychologist for Jeffco Public Schools guilty of five charges, including child sexual assault. The trial of 38-year-old James Michael Chevrier began on Jan. 5 and ended on Friday, with jurors deliberating until Monday morning, according to a news release from the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Following deliberations,…
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Colorado justices clarify procedure for defendants to access DNA analyst’s criminal file
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday that trial judges may order Jefferson County prosecutors to disclose information related to the criminal prosecution of a DNA analyst accused of misconduct, but defendants seeking those files cannot rely on the order alone to gain access. Yvonne “Missy” Woods is a former Colorado Bureau of Investigation DNA…
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Lakewood mother and boyfriend sentenced in infant drug death
A mother and a man housing her face decades in prison after feeding her 11-week-old son a bottle containing methamphetamine. Jefferson County District Judge Tamara Russell sentenced both 35-year-old Alexander Avila and 33-year-old Lisa Johnson on Thursday and Friday, respectively, in connection to the 2024 death of infant Ezra Johnson. Johnson, the mother, was sentenced…
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Jeffco sheriff investigating inmate death
A man died while in custody of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office — the second since the beginning of November. Deputies were completing routine medical rounds at the Jefferson County Jail around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when they found Harvey Jacobs unresponsive in his bunk, according to a news release. Nurses attempted life-saving measures on the…
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Jefferson County struck by tragedy; affordable housing issue debated
There was a plethora of news in Jefferson County in 2025, but the entire state — as well as the country — was appalled by the tragedy that struck the small mountain town of Evergreen in September. On Sept. 10, 16-year-old Desmond Holly entered Evergreen High School with a revolver and fired around 20 rounds,…