4B» DENVER & THE WEST
saturday, january 28, 2012 B denverpost.com B the denver post
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GOP penalizes lawmaker Denver police say she invoked legislative immunity in traffic stop By Yesenia Robles The Denver Post
Denver Police D e pa r t m e n t , said Bradford was pulled over in the Capitol Hill area just after 10 p.m. We d n e s d a y Laura Brad- when an officer ford “under- saw her making an illegal turn. stands” the The officer decision. smelled alcohol on Bradford’s breath, and she admitted to having been drinking, Jackson said. After Bradford failed some roadside sobriety tests, the officer called a supervisor for advice on the situation. It was then determined, as Bradford pointed out to police,
A Grand Junction-area lawmaker has been suspended from her committee chairmanship after a traffic stop in which she avoided a possible DUI charge thanks to the state constitution. House Republicans announced late Friday that state Rep. Laura Bradford of Collbran was suspended for “reasons related to a traffic citation.” According to Denver police, Bradford was pulled over Wednesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence, but used legislative immunity to get away with a minor traffic ticket. Sonny Jackson, spokesman for
that she could not be arrested because of Article Five, Section 16 of the state constitution, which says during the legislative session, lawmakers cannot be arrested while attending sessions, or while traveling to or from related events. The constitution only makes exceptions for cases of treason or felonies. “Her car was parked. She took a cab home and was ticketed for the illegal lane change,” Jackson said. Bradford released a statement to The Post addressing her suspension, and saying she looked forward to continuing her work. “I understand the speaker’s decision, and I look forward to having the facts
brought to light,” Bradford said. KDVR-TV (Fox 31) reported she gave them a statement denying she “invoked immunity.” The section of the constitution granting lawmakers immunity was last amended in 1975, and was intended to protect lawmakers from intimidation from other branches of government or other political parties, according to online information from the Legislative Legal Services agency. Rep. Libby Szabo, R-Arvada, will serve as chairwoman of the Local Government Committee, with Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, as the committee’s vice chair, the House Republicans said in a statement.
CBI testimony argues against trial defense By Erica Meltzer The Daily Camera
at Roach as the friends walked home early on the morning of March 18. They say Walker then grabbed for the gun, and in the struggle, it went off. Walker, 20, a native of Edwards and a football player at the University of New Hampshire, was visiting friends in Boulder during his spring break when he was fatally shot at the corner of 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue on University Hill. McGregor, 23, of Longmont, is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder and aggravated robbery. Prosecutors have tried to use forensic evidence to bolster Roach’s testimony and the case for aggravated robbery and first-degree murder.
boulder» The muzzle of the gun that killed Todd Walker was 5 to 6 feet from him when it was fired, a Colorado Bureau of Investigation firearms expert testified Friday at the murder trial of Kevin McGregor. The information is significant because McGregor disputes the story told by Elizabeth Roach, Walker’s friend, that he tried to rob her at gunpoint and shot Walker when he intervened. McGregor’s defense attorneys say he drew and fired the handgun in the air because he was scared of Walker after being confronted about whistling
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Spicer said the school intends to continue working with Neenan. Schaffer initially told The Post that the board of the school’s foundation had chosen Neenan over two competing bids. Schaffer cited factors including “the strength and soundness” of the proposal and the school’s long history with Neenan and its employees. But foundation chairman Peter Kast said McWhinney, as the building owner, chose Neenan. School officials helped with the floor plan, he said. McWhinney officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Education Reform named it National Charter School of the Year in 2007. The two-phase high school expansion is estimated to cost $6.1 million. Phase one will add 12,000 square feet to the 27,000square-foot building and is expected to be completed by the end of July. Schaffer said a foundation set up to support the school used bond debt to pay for the project, partnering with the Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority. The second phase will include a gym. Headmaster Russ
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while the other was “sizing” her up, she said. She ordered the three women to go call the police. Suddenly, one of the suspects lunged at Quiñones. She fired her gun at the man. The bullet hit the wall and did not hit anyone. The man began striking Quiñones with a milk crate, according to a police department news release. She fended him off with one arm and tried to fire her gun again, but it misfired. The suspects ran away with her gun. Her attacker ran from the store and carjacked a vehicle outside a Grease Monkey. The
second robber jumped in a 2005 black Chevy Suburban with temporary plates. Quiñones, whose left arm is now wrapped in medical tape, said she chased the robbers out of the store so that she could see their car or get their license plate number. “Yes. It’s just me against two men,” she said. “There might be people who question what I did. I did the best that I could do. The tactics I used were sound. The outcome to me was ideal. The women are OK.” Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or twitter.com/kmitchellDP or blogs.denverpost.com/ coldcases
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Detective Craig Beckjord holds a handgun Friday during Kevin McGregor’s trial. Mark Leffingwell, Daily Camera
Schaffer said Neenan Co. founder David Neenan is a longtime “champion of school choice” and an early financial contributor to Liberty Common. Neenan pitched in “quite a lot” to get the school started 16 years ago, along with parents who put their houses up for collateral, Schaffer said. The Neenan Co. designed and built the original Liberty Common elementary school, which involved the renovation of a former toothpaste and mouthwash factory, Schaffer said. David Neenan contributed a total of $3,500 to Schaffer’s runs for the U.S. House and Senate,
federal election records show. Neenan has donated to both Republicans and Democrats over the years. “It’s hard to find a business leader in Fort Collins who has not contributed to me in the past — especially those involved in education,” Schaffer said. Children of a number of Neenan employees attend the school as well.
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ver Police policies were followed. The analysis was overseen by the Office of the Independent Monitor. “We conclude the officers did not violate the (police) department’s use of force policy or any other department rules or any laws with regard to the use of force,” Safety Manager Alex Martinez said in a statement. “Throughout their contact with Mr. Ashley, the officers used appropriate tactics and the least amount of force necessary in response to his actions. ... Mr. Ashley’s death is tragic but was unintended and not the probable consequence of the force used by the officers.” The incident occurred on the evening of the inauguration of new Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who also released a statement. “I want to again extend my condolences to Mr. Ashley’s loved ones,” Hancock said. “His death was an unfortunate loss to our community and I
want to assure the public that the Department of Safety conducted a comprehensive, fair and accurate review as timely as possible. It is my expectation that the same attention and fairness will be applied to all use-of-force cases.” Ashley family members have filed a notice of intent to sue the city but have not filed a lawsuit, said City Attorney Douglas Friednash. “Up until now, the investigations have been open, so there hasn’t been anything that we can look at,” said Will Frankfurt, the attorney representing Ashley’s family. “We have done some initial investigation with people who were there. And I can tell you that those people had a different opinion of what happened than what the officers said. I am confident that we will show the officers’ actions were completely unreasonable.” Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
Staff writer David Olinger contributed to this report. Eric Gorski: 303-954-1971 or egorski@denverpost.com
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