Tag: Judge Elizabeth Harris
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Appeals court reinstates murder case despite ex-DA Linda Stanley’s conduct
Colorado’s second-highest court reinstated the murder and child abuse charges on Thursday against a Fremont County defendant, reasoning that the former district attorney’s misconduct did not warrant dismissal of the charges. A judge previously dismissed the criminal case against defendant William Jacobs after former elected District Attorney Linda Stanley spoke in derogatory terms about Jacobs…
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Arapahoe County defendant serving life could receive new trial after lawyer withheld key details
An Arapahoe County defendant who is serving a life sentence for a 20-year-old murder could receive a new trial because his lawyer withheld key details that affected his decision to decline a plea deal, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week. There was no dispute that Michael Evans did not shoot the victim during an October…
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Divided appeals court reverses assault conviction over insufficient guidance about paramedics’ authority
Colorado’s second-highest court reversed a defendant’s conviction last week for assaulting a paramedic, concluding that a Denver judge needed to give jurors additional information about the duties that paramedics are legally authorized to carry out. Two paramedics were attempting to take Chakib E. Ez-Zahir to a hospital against his will. After one paramedic blocked his…
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Colorado justices side with news organizations for disclosure of high-level child abuse data
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the state must disclose the number of child abuse reports at individual group living facilities in response to an open records request, as the addresses are already in the public domain. The justices agreed that the Court of Appeals erred in resolving the case. But beyond that,…
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Appeals judge argues prior decision on defendant’s ‘3-strikes’ sentence was wrong
A member of Colorado’s second-highest court argued on Thursday that a defendant stands wrongfully sentenced under the state’s “three-strikes” law, and an earlier appellate decision saying otherwise was incorrect. A three-judge Court of Appeals panel agreed that Kiki Lamount Douglas’ 96-year prison sentence was likely excessive. Originally, Douglas’ trial judge multiplied the maximum sentence as…
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Appeals judge asks Colorado Supreme Court to clarify process for returning seized property to defendants
A member of Colorado’s second-highest court asked the state Supreme Court on Thursday to address the consequences of its 2022 decision outlining how convicted defendants are supposed to seek the return of property seized by law enforcement. In Woo v. El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, the justices concluded that defendants cannot bring a separate civil…
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Appeals court finds Denver judge terminated man’s parental rights based on faulty reasoning
Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday determined the evidence did not support a Denver judge’s ruling terminating the legal relationship between a father and his child. A three-judge Court of Appeals panel identified numerous instances where the facts contradicted the trial judge’s findings that the father lacked stable housing and was unable to be “a full-time…
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Colorado justices, judges tell applicants what to expect when applying for the bench
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Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Members of Colorado’s judiciary spoke on Friday to more than three dozen people who are interested in becoming state judges, and hammered home a consistent theme: At the very beginning, they need to have a…
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Supreme Court justice, appeals judge spar over authority to decide issues | APPELLATE UPDATE
‘That’s our role, is to resolve the issue in the way that we think is the best way to resolve it,’ said Judge Elizabeth Harris
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Appeals court, prosecution, defense all agree judge violated Routt County defendant’s right to counsel
After the government and the defense both expressed rare agreement that a judge failed to ensure a Routt County defendant validly gave up his right to counsel, Colorado’s second-highest court ordered a redo of the proceedings on Thursday. Jurors convicted Movses Mikaelyan in 2023 for the unauthorized use of a financial device. Shortly afterward, his…