By Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press Recently found human remains were confirmed this week to be those of a woman who disappeared after going out with friends and cousins four years ago, authorities said. A preliminary DNA analysis confirmed that remains found near Longmont last month were that of Rita Gutierrez-Garcia, said the office of […]
Michael Dougherty
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: End private prisons in Colorado
Allowing profit into the criminal justice system undermines its integrity, effectiveness, and the public trust. We would never tolerate profit incentives for judges, public defenders, or prosecutors; we should not do so for prisons. Two private, for-profit prisons in Colorado hold roughly 18% of our state’s prison population. These facilities are owned by CoreCivic, a […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Prosecutors slam Colorado trucker’s reduced prison sentence, say governor hurt efforts to negotiate in other cases
The reduction of a 110-year prison sentence to 10 years by Colorado’s governor for a trucker convicted of killing four people in a fiery interstate crash is hurting prosecutors’ efforts to negotiate sentences in other cases, according to two district attorneys. The Dec. 30 commutation by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis for the trucker was “unprecedented, […]
Posted inNews
State leaders call for unified action to combat rising fentanyl poisonings across Colorado
State legislators, law enforcement officials and district attorneys on Thursday stressed the need for a more collaborative response to combat surging fentanyl poisonings that have killed more Coloradans than gun violence and car crashes combined. “This alarming rise in fentanyl calls for action,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said at the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial […]
Posted inSun Investigation
Parents of young Coloradans killed by fentanyl call it murder. So why aren’t there more convictions?
In a matter of seconds, a tiny blue pill disguised as a prescription painkiller can kill a person with a lethal dose of fentanyl, a drug so powerful that amounts as tiny as a few grains of salt are deadly. Parents of Colorado high school and college students who have died after taking the synthetic […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Legislation to reduce Colorado’s jail populations makes sense for safety and social justice
This past summer’s worldwide protests against police brutality and calls to defund the police greatly increased discussions and renewed awareness of widespread structural and institutional racism that is normalized in America. The racial justice movement in America was clearly alive and well. It finally seemed possible to many that we could make substantial changes to […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Boulder shooting suspect used assault weapon he legally purchased from Arvada gun store
The gunman who killed 10 people at a Boulder King Soopers this week used an assault weapon he legally purchased at an Arvada gun store, but investigators still don’t know his motive, police said Friday. “We, too, want to know why,” Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said, speaking from the steps of Boulder police headquarters, […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
What to expect in the court case against the Boulder King Soopers shooting suspect
When an attorney stood Thursday to say the defense team needs more time to assess the mental health of the Boulder King Soopers shooting suspect, it was an echo from Colorado’s recent past. The sentence uttered by defense attorney Kathryn Herold — “We cannot begin to assess the nature and depth of Mr. Alissa’s mental […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Suspect in Boulder mass shooting was arrested for attack on Arvada West High School classmate
The 21-year-old Arvada man accused of killing 10 people in a Boulder King Soopers on Monday was arrested for attacking a classmate at Arvada West High School in 2017. Arrest documents from the encounter say Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa stood up in a classroom, walked over to the victim and “cold cocked” him in the […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
“You can’t unsee anything”: What Michael Dougherty, Boulder’s district attorney, faces as he investigates the King Soopers shooting
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty is embarking on what’s likely the most difficult period of his long career as a prosecutor this week as he leads the investigation into Monday’s mass shooting at a King Soopers store. Dougherty, a 49-year-old New York native, was first appointed to his job as Boulder’s top prosecutor by […]