Thread by @chrisvanderveen

A THREAD on COLORADO law

Want to review a CRITICAL aspect of a NEW CO law that is limiting transparency when it comes to the man now suspected of murdering 5 and shooting/injuring 17 others in Colorado Springs over the weekend

It involves this bill

leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/…

HB19-1275 SAILED through the 2019 legislative session.

It was passed with good intent. A desire to keep people away from the burden of previous convictions/arrests. Particularly minor ones.

Here are some basics.

So what does this have to do with Colorado Springs?

Well, for one, we KNOW the alleged shooter was arrested just last year.

There was a bomb threat. And deputies recommeneded felony menacing/kidnapping charges.

This is the press release

But today... the case has totally DISAPPEARED

Doesn't exist. Can't find anything in the Colorado court system on it

For all intents and purposes, it never happened.

Why? The case was dropped... charges never filed...

And thanks to this section of HB-1275, poof, it's gone.

It all means... as of now... we CANNOT access what were once very public records.

This case was sealed. Clearly.

And due to the NEW law... it's vanished.

Which allows the El Paso County Sheriff to avoid scrutiny for what it did/didn't do back then.

You're reading this right.

A law that SAILED through the #COLeg in 2019 with the the help of legislators wanting to protect people from police convictions/arrests...

is NOW BEING USED to protect law enforcement from public scrutiny.

We have questions.

Many of them.

Primary among them... was there reason to issue a RED FLAG order in the 2021 case?

But today, thanks to the state legislature, we cannot access ANY RECORDS about that case.

We'd also like to know why the case was dropped.

How long Aldrich remained in jail?

What were the specific nature of the threats?

Why should the public care? B/c this guy went into a nightclub and killed 5 and injured/shot 17 more.

I'll add one more thing.

The law did offer what amounts to an escape clause

Yep, the El Paso County DA appears to have some wiggle room based on this line in the bill.

Let's see if they take the legislature up on the offer.

Let me add one more thing...

Legislators can muck up things even with the best of intentions.

And when it comes to TRANSPARENCY issues, they need to consult more PUBLIC RECORDS advocates when they muck with this stuff.

Please and thank you.

--FIN