Douglas County outrage grows after judge hands out probation in violent crime case

By: Allie Jennerjahn | Denver7

District Attorney for the 23rd Judicial District and stalking victim "outraged" over judge's decision to only sentence stalker to probation

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — A Douglas County judge is under fire for two separate probation decisions she’s made in just one week.

District Attorney for the 23^rd Judicial District George Brauchler told Denver7 he’s “outraged” by the ruling, but he never specifically said who the judge was.

“I don’t think judges exist in this jurisdiction to do what the DA says. That doesn’t make sense. I don’t think that [ruling] protects defendants appropriately either,” Brauchler said. “My respect for the bench doesn’t mean that I like all of their decisions, and in this particular case, I think this one is too risky for the public and I don’t think it honors what took place with the victim.”

Denver7 confirmed through court records, Brauchler was talking about Victoria Klingensmith. Her most recent probation decision involved 31-year-old Taylor Burrows.

Burrows was found guilty in court of stalking and assault of his ex-fiance Aubrey Cadwell.

“There’s no way that we are looking at this man with this type of history, this type of danger, and saying that he’s okay to walk among us,” Cadwell said.

Brauchler said probation officers have classified Burrows as a “maximum risk to re-offend” and said both Jefferson and Arapahoe Counties have denied him from their community corrections, which are designed as an alternative to incarceration.

Even so, Burrows was not given a prison sentence. He’s out on probation, and Cadwell is scared.

“There’s so much to this and it is so disturbing, and he gets to walk among us,” she said. “How? How are we possibly going to let him get away with this? What is the turning point? To let him re-offend? Is that what we’re waiting for?”

READ THE COMPLETE STORY AT DENVER7