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Same Colorado law, different outcomes: Probation in Denver, prison in Mesa County
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Same Colorado law, different outcomes: Probation in Denver, prison in Mesa County

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice In Colorado, the same felony statute led to two very different courtroom outcomes. One walked away with probation. Peters is now serving a prison sentence that stretches close to a decade. The case against Peters unfolded under Colorado’s statute on attempting to influence a public servant—§ 18-8-306, the same law used in the prosecution of former Colorado state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis. In Denver District Court, jurors convicted Lewis on four felony counts tied to forged letters submitted during a Senate ethics investigation. The Mesa County verdict came with far steeper consequences. Peters received a prison sentence totaling nine years. Gov. Jared Polis referenced the Lewis sentencing this week while ...
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From ethics complaint to felony conviction: How forged letters ended a Colorado lawmaker’s career
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

From ethics complaint to felony conviction: How forged letters ended a Colorado lawmaker’s career

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice The investigation that ended former Colorado Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis’ political career did not begin with police or prosecutors. It began inside her own office. It ended in a Denver courtroom. There, jurors found the former lawmaker guilty on four felony counts tied to letters submitted during a legislative ethics investigation. The workplace dispute had become a criminal case. No prison sentence followed. The judge handed down two years’ probation, 150 hours of community service and a $3,000 fine. Months earlier, aides had begun raising complaints about how Jaquez Lewis ran her office. They accused her of mistreating staff and assigning work unrelated to legislative duties. Those complaints quickly reached S...
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Two courts, one case: Judge to weigh prosecutor removal and child hearsay in Hawkins proceedings
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Two courts, one case: Judge to weigh prosecutor removal and child hearsay in Hawkins proceedings

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice What began as criminal charges against retired Aurora Police Department sergeant Michael Hawkins has expanded into a dispute spanning two counties and two courts. While Hawkins faces felony allegations involving children, his former wife, Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins, was jailed after declining to follow a reunification therapy order issued during divorce proceedings. Two hearings that are set for February 19th inside a Douglas County District Court could subtly influence the course of People v. Hawkins. The hearings for case 24CR808 begins at 9:00 a.m and 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom C and are expected to be available through the Colorado Judicial Branch livestream.  The morning argument centers on a defense r...
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Colorado Human Trafficking Cases Reach Alarming High In 2025
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Just The News, Approved, State

Colorado Human Trafficking Cases Reach Alarming High In 2025

By Derek Draplin | Just the News The analysis by Common Sense Institute Colorado uses data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. But the institute said the state’s data is undercounted due to data-entry lag, noting 2025 human trafficking numbers could end up exceeding record levels from 2023. Colorado saw “peak levels” for human trafficking in 2025 even without complete data for the year, a new analysis warns. The analysis by Common Sense Institute Colorado uses data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. But the institute said the state’s data is undercounted due to data-entry lag, noting 2025 human trafficking numbers could end up exceeding record levels from 2023. ...
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Colorado task force clears 566 felony warrants as fugitive arrests rise in 2025
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado task force clears 566 felony warrants as fugitive arrests rise in 2025

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado was not an easy place to hide last year. By the end of 2025, U.S. Marshals Service was reporting 498 fugitive arrests tied to Colorado's Violent Offender Task Force. Those arrests cleared 566 felony warrants in total - more than the year before, and enough to register as a 17 percent increase. The figures come from the Marshals Service’s statewide enforcement summary, not from a collection of isolated arrests or one-off operations. In the agency’s words, the increase reflected “relentless efforts to locate and arrest violent fugitives,” driven by coordination across multiple law-enforcement agencies. What the Marshals Actually Reported The organization and operation of the Colorado Violen...
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Colorado’s crime problem is bigger than the laws on the books
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado’s crime problem is bigger than the laws on the books

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Colorado’s crime problem isn’t just due to our laws As I've written before, our troubles with crime involve more than just the laws on the books.There are a few steps in the criminal justice process where someone has discretion. Discretion means the ability to be too hard, or too soft.District Attorneys decide on whether to charge and what charges to bring. Judges decide on bail, and the trial judge passes sentence.Each step a chance to be too harsh or too easy.The Complete Colorado article at bottom details a new effort by some lawmakers and talk radio host Jeff Hunt. Their website is linked below the story for convenience.I'll leave it to you to read either, but in brief, their effort is intended to bring publ...
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Colorado Lawmakers Weigh Justice and Unintended Consequences in Child Sex Solicitation Bill
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CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado Lawmakers Weigh Justice and Unintended Consequences in Child Sex Solicitation Bill

By: Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado Colorado is among the top ten states in the country for human trafficking and most of the victims here are children. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation says 64% of human trafficking survivors are under age 18 and, under current state law, some of their abusers receive probation. A bill by state Sen.s Byron Pelton and Dylan Roberts would change that. Roberts says the current law is failing children. "How do we hold buyers of children accountable for their crimes?" he said. Under the legislation, anyone convicted of crimes related to child solicitation would be sentenced to a minimum of four years in prison. State analysts say each year, an average of 25 of those offenders receive probation. READ THE F...
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Colorado appeals court orders new briefs after state flags statute oversight in Tina Peters case
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado appeals court orders new briefs after state flags statute oversight in Tina Peters case

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice The Colorado Court of Appeals has reopened briefing in Tina Peters’ criminal appeal after the state acknowledged it overlooked a key statutory issue while briefing and arguing the case. The appeal’s timeline changed on Jan. 29, when the Court of Appeals ordered a new round of briefing following a late filing from the Attorney General, a “notice of erratum” addressing the felony charge. 2026-01-29 C ORDER OF THE COURT Respond to ErratumDownload The question surfaced during oral argument earlier this month. Judges asked whether the felony conspiracy charge was tied to the correct version of Colorado law. After oral argument concluded, prosecutors revisited the statute. In a filing submitted January 23, the Attor...
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Sheriffs and prosecutors rally behind Michael Allen for attorney general, cite courtroom experience
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Sheriffs and prosecutors rally behind Michael Allen for attorney general, cite courtroom experience

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice A handful of sheriffs and district attorneys from different parts of the state have come out in support of Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen, today, as he campaigns for Colorado attorney general. The endorsements focus on his years spent in actual courtrooms prosecuting cases and the way he’s managed to cut back on some crimes in his district. The endorsements share his ideals of real trial experience, cracking down on offenders and keeping partisan battles out of the attorney general’s office. “I’m honored to earn the support of these respected law enforcement leaders and prosecutors who have dedicated their careers to public safety. They know what it takes to hold criminals accountable and keep ...
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Rising Inmate Numbers Put Pressure On Colorado To Expand Prison System
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CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Rising Inmate Numbers Put Pressure On Colorado To Expand Prison System

By: Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' budget director, Mark Ferrandino, is sounding an alarm. He says the Colorado Department of Corrections is limiting new admissions as it reaches capacity, and the state needs to open a new facility to house a growing number of inmates. Ferrandino urged Colorado's Joint Budget Committee to approve funding for more beds in the short-term.  "We are going to get to a place, unless the forecasts significantly change, where we are going to need additional capacity," Ferrandino told the committee.  Ferrandino said the state has closed seven prisons over the last 15 years, as Colorado's prison population has dropped by nearly 6,000 inmates. But he says the population is now growing rapidly, and the state...
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