For what she called a series of blatant missteps involving pretrial evidence in five cases, Judge Gail Nichols of Pitkin County District Court in August punished the Aspen district attorney’s office by quashing a statement made by the defendant in an aggravated motor-vehicle theft case.
The judge also said she would not allow police photographs to be used at the trial of Jesus Aguilera-Pimentel. Without the statement and the pictures, Chief Deputy District Attorney Arnold Mordkin said he could not prosecute Aguilera-Pimentel, 25, of Carbondale.
District Attorney Martin Beeson appealed the sanctions to the state high court on Sept. 28. His office was notified just two days later that justices would not be reviewing Nichols’ decision...."
(Chad Abraham)
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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
3 comments:
How much money? Where do the taxpayers go to find out how much money is wasted on this kind of DA performance? Beeson shows up at budget time with a hand out again? Say no.
All commissioners should get behind auditing 9th judicial to see what all this costs us.
It's kind of like the accommodations tax.
Dollar here. Few thousand over there. And nobody comparing the expenditures to production.
If these were legitimate problems that probably come up all the time in criminal justice that would be one thing.
But these are rookie and stupid mistakes. No room for them in the worst economy ever.
What I have a real problem with is the moral mentality. Since when does any duty bound officer get to push the duty lines or show partiality to the side of personal moral outrage and indignation? I do believe that's a violation of our laws.
No room in our district for this kind of performance. Shut the money down and make them cut back just like everybody else.
The pattern is troublesome. These cases. Lofgren. When this kind of power goes bad because of any one of the claims the price paid for the lives at stake is high.
I think it is good that Beeson is term limited out. If Mordkin attempts he would be pressed to win. Far too long of a shot with his track record.
Probably the best sign of our times in our justice system in the 9th is that there don't appear to be any eager takers stepping up to run.
From the money angle it would be surprising if all three BOCC's don't give Beeson a very hard time when he comes to the table.
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