Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Tag: Criminal justice

Colorado’s Surge In Prison Population Signals Return To Law And Order
No Comments
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado’s Surge In Prison Population Signals Return To Law And Order

By The Gazette Editorial Board | Commentary, The Denver Gazette Let’s welcome news reported by The Gazette this week that Colorado’s prison population is on the rise, with more lawbreakers reportedly behind bars for parole violations. That’s encouraging in a state that has weathered an epic crime wave in recent years, often enough at the hands of parolees. The surge in our prison population reflects a renewed commitment by law enforcement — including parole officers, who police parolees and try to keep them on track — to prioritize public safety. Misguided, out-of-touch advocates of the “justice reform” movement already are wringing their hands over the thought of convicts out on parole being sent back to the slammer for what the justice reformers insist are mere “technical” viola...
Read More
State Leaders Put Criminal Rights Ahead of Public Safety
No Comments
The Gazette, Approved, Commentary, State

State Leaders Put Criminal Rights Ahead of Public Safety

By The Gazette Editorial Board | Commentary, The Gazette Only days ago, The Gazette editorial board weighed in on how easy it is for dangerous criminal suspects with lengthy records in Colorado to walk free — and never come back — as they supposedly await trial or other court proceedings. That includes when they are deemed “incompetent” to understand the charges against them — usually, due to presumed mental illness — and at times are released pending psychiatric assessment and treatment to restore their competency. Even under those circumstances, suspects can wind up going free for good, either because they fail to follow through on outpatient psychiatric care and disappear onto the streets, or, incredibly, they have been found permanently incompetent — and by state law, the char...
Read More
Elon Musk Slams “Soft-on-Crime” Policies in Clash With Governor Polis
No Comments
The Western Journal, Approved, State

Elon Musk Slams “Soft-on-Crime” Policies in Clash With Governor Polis

By: Michael Austin | The Western Journal Elon Musk confronted Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis over a violent criminal released back on the streets, prompting a response from the official that failed to acknowledge how he signed a law allowing such circumstances to arise. The exchange came after Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams revealed to residents that under Colorado law, he was forced to release Debisa Ephraim, who was deemed incompetent to stand trial, into the public on Monday. Ephraim was arrested on second-degree murder and assault charges after he allegedly attacked residents in an unprovoked manner, per a report from CBS News. Reams remarked in a video that Ephraim has had several encounters with police. “It is a very violent crime, and how rapidly this person ha...
Read More
New Colorado program shifts defendants from jail to treatment on competency grounds
No Comments
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

New Colorado program shifts defendants from jail to treatment on competency grounds

By Michael Braithwaite | The Denver Gazette In an attempt to reduce wait times for inpatient defendant competency restoration, Colorado courts are launching a new program to divert eligible people into a separate community care process. The near-$1.5 million program, which uses money from the general fund and was spurred by the passage of House Bill 24-1355 last June, will create a process in each judicial district to identify certain individuals who are not competent enough to proceed in a trial process and refer them to a wraparound program that will connect them with external care, according to a news release from the Colorado Judicial Branch and the bill itself. “This work is the result of years of collaboration, deep listening, and versatility,” said Gene Klivansky,...
Read More
How ballot initiatives play a role in Colorado policymaking
No Comments
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

How ballot initiatives play a role in Colorado policymaking

By Colorado Politics For more than a century, Colorado voters have used the ballot box not just to elect leaders but also to make laws, shaping the state’s most defining policies through citizen-led initiatives. Those two avenues of policymaking — the first by legislators, the second by citizens — yet represent another point of tension that is inherent to America’s grand experiment in representative democracy. At times, it leads to reaction and counter-reaction, both within and outside the state Capitol. The threat of a ballot measure, for one, can prompt legislators to act. Indeed, some see the initiative process as a counterbalance to the Colorado legislature, serving as a check on state policymakers, at times overriding their will. Others prefer the legislative process, with...
Read More
Victims Urge Accountability as Weld County Ex-Coach Awaits Sentencing in Child Sex Abuse Case
No Comments
Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Victims Urge Accountability as Weld County Ex-Coach Awaits Sentencing in Child Sex Abuse Case

By Hanna Powers | KDVR Fox 31 WELD COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — A former basketball coach in Weld County has been convicted of sexually abusing multiple players and is now awaiting sentencing. George “JR” Sagner was found guilty on multiple felony counts, including sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust. Prosecutors said Sagner used his role as a coach to groom and abuse players for years. He is scheduled to be sentenced in January and faces a minimum of 12 years and up to more than 100 years in prison. The case began with a Safe2Tell tip in 2022, but court records show allegations stretching back to 2012. During a trial that wrapped up last week, jurors heard weeks of testimony about a pattern of abuse that took place during practices, in cars and at Sagner’s home. ...
Read More
Man charged with homicide after secretly poisoning girlfriend with abortion pills
No Comments
The Western Journal, Approved, Commentary, National

Man charged with homicide after secretly poisoning girlfriend with abortion pills

By Jack Davis | Commentary, The Western Journal An Illinois man is facing homicide charges after allegedly slipping abortion pills to his girlfriend without her consent. WMBD-TV reported that 31-year-old Emerson Evans of the community of Normal appeared Monday in McLean County Circuit Court. Judge Amy McFarland agreed to prosecutors’ request to detain Evans pending a trial. Evans faces two counts of intentional homicide of an unborn child, a felony comparable to first-degree murder. https://twitter.com/LiveAction/status/1960348966689636626 The charges carry a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count, IPM News reported. According to the report, police were called to the home Friday for a report of a pregnant woman suffer...
Read More
Adams County man handed 13-year sentence for large-scale drug trafficking
No Comments
Fox31, Approved, Local

Adams County man handed 13-year sentence for large-scale drug trafficking

By: FOX31 Digital Staff | FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — A man was sentenced to 20 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections by the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for “large-scale” drug trafficking in Adams County, the DA’s Office announced in a press release on Monday morning. The man, Rodrick Maye, 45, was sentenced for possessing with intent to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamines and cocaine. On May 25, 2024, Thornton police officers saw Maye swerve into oncoming traffic on East 88th Avenue. The officers performed a traffic stop, and said Maye showed signs of impairment and failed roadside sobriety tests, before being arrested for driving under the influence. During a search of the vehicle, officers found multiple open containers of alcohol an...
Read More
Colorado gun laws leave innocent citizens defenseless
No Comments
Complete Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado gun laws leave innocent citizens defenseless

By James Neville | Complete Colorado became a firearms instructor not because I’m a gun nut, but from my love for teaching self-defense. Teaching assault survivors martial arts for years provides the opportunity to learn about the nature of violent crime. It’s clear that the Colorado’s approach to public safety isn’t just naïve, it’s dangerous: policy makers are increasingly putting Coloradans at risk. The recent flurry of gun control measures has made Colorado one of the most restrictive states for firearm ownership in America. Senate Bill 25-003 for example, imposes a three-stage process on every Coloradan who may need to purchase a semiautomatic pistol for self-defense. There is no cap on fees and there is no time frame within which an application must be approved or denied....
Read More
Colorado’s largest TdA gang bust exposes murder-for-hire and international drug pipeline
No Comments
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Colorado’s largest TdA gang bust exposes murder-for-hire and international drug pipeline

By Joe Vaccarelli, Landon Haaf | Denver7 The massive investigation included roughly 40 undercover operations over 10 months and also unearthed a "barbaric" murder-for-hire plot. DENVER — What was described as “the biggest investigation” of the Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua in the country unfolded in Colorado over the past 10 months, federal officials announced on Monday, netting 30 indictments of people allegedly involved in drug and weapons trafficking and a “barbaric” murder-for-hire plot. U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly said Monday that investigators estimated three TdA leaders, five alleged members and “numerous” associates of the gang were charged in the operation. The investigation started in October of 2024 when the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office started looking i...
Read More

FD863768-0ACF-495E-9D21-2EF784DFFA6B[1]

Join us at RMV's Freedom Festival

Click Here for Tickets!

This will close in 0 seconds