Email: romer@governor.state.co.us
and Local Media
The Colorado Legal Eagles, a Nederland-based
legal rights advocacy group, is encouraging citizens to contact Gov. Roy
Romer regarding the case of Laura Kriho. Laura Kriho is the juror in Gilpin
County who was prosecuted for contempt of court for deliberating "improperly"
when she
served on a jury last May. Her trial ended on Oct. 2, 1996 and briefs were
filed on her case on October 9, 1996. Almost four months later, she is
still awaiting a verdict. This delay is extremely unusual. Criminal trials
are usually ruled on within a few days.
Two little-known and rarely-used statutes exist in Colorado that require the judge to issue a verdict in 90 days (CRS 13-5-135), and if he doesn't, he is penalized by forfeiting his quarterly paycheck (CRS 13-5-136). It has been 113 days since the briefs were filed in Laura's case, but no verdict has been issued. By law, Chief Judge Henry Nieto should be penalized about $20,000.
It is unclear who has the power or willingness to enforce these statutes. The judicial administration division in Colorado says they have never enforced the statute because of "concerns over the constitutionality of it".
Richard Collins, associate dean of the law school at the University of Colorado, says, "If someone decides to suddenly say that because this Kriho case is really a political football and there are all kinds of people yelling and screaming about it and the Internet is just smoking with it, therefore we'll penalize this judge even though we don't penalize any other judges -- that just isn't going to fly".
If ever there were a case where a judge should be penalized for delaying a verdict, it is this case. In September, Judge Nieto denied a defense motion to continue the trial date to give the defense adequate time to prepare. Judge Nieto said (to paraphrase), "This is a simple case and you should be ready to go forward. It is important to the citizens of Gilpin County to have this matter resolved quickly".
In January, Judge Nieto was quoted in a local newspaper as saying, "This is a unique case".
Which is it? If the Colorado Legal Eagles are to be believed, this delay is part of the punishment.
Clearly, Governor Roy Romer, as the chief
executive of the state, has the power to require the forfeiture of the
judge's salary. We are asking that citizens call, write, and email him
and demand that he require enforcement of that statute. We need to put
some flames under his feet to get him to act.
CONTACTING GOVERNOR ROY ROMER
By Email: romer@governor.state.co.us
By Mail: State Capitol Building, Denver, CO 80203
By Phone: (303) 866-2471
1-800-283-7215 (toll-free -- may only work in state)
Ask Governor Romer to:
1) Protect jurors and the right to a fair and impartial trial by jury in
Colorado by helping Laura Kriho.
2) Enforce Colorado Revised Statute 13-5-136 which requires the judge to
forfeit his quarterly salary for not issuing a verdict within 90 days.
If you phone the governor's office, don't
let them put you on hold or transfer you, just leave your comments. Say:
"I'm calling about the Laura Kriho case, and I think the governor
should do everything he can to help her. I also think the governor should
enforce the law that requires the judge to forfeit his quarterly salary
for taking so long to deliver her verdict".
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR NEEDED
We are also asking people to write letters to the editor of our local
newspapers. If you write a letter to Governor Romer, send it the these
newspapers as an open letter to Governor Romer. Or write an original letter.
Email it to all these newspapers. It's more important now than ever to
keep the issue in the public eye.
Front Range Newspapers
letters@denverpost.com Denver
Post, Denver
letters@denver-rmn.com Rocky
Mt. News, Denver
editorial@westword.com Westword,
Denver
news@dailycamera.com Daily Camera,
Boulder
talbot@bcn.boulder.co.us
Colorado Daily, Boulder
bweditor@tesser.com Boulder Weekly,
Boulder
news@boulderplanet.com Boulder
Planet, Boulder
mtn-ear@indra.com Mountain Ear,
Nederland
mountain-messenter@juno.com
Mountain Messanger, Idaho Springs
editor@fortnet.org Coloradan, Ft.
Collins
comments@chieftain.com The
Chieftan, Pueblo
gtnews@usa.net Gazette Telegraph, Colo.
Springs
Western Slope Newspapers
jderdman@csn.net Chronicle and Pilot,
Crested Butte
75542.120@compuserve.com
Ten Mile Times, Frisco
njohnson@glenwoodpost.com
Glenwood Post, Glenwood Springs
randydci@dci-press.com Delta
County Independent, Montrose
timesj@rmii.com Telluride Journal,
Telluride
Please cc: your letters to
jrights@levellers.org.
For media snail mail addresses and fax numbers, send us an email request.
The rights of jurors and our right to trial by jury are at stake. Please forward this announcement to anyone you think can help. Thanks for helping in this action.
Joe Vigorito
Colorado Legal Eagles
P.O. Box 506
Nederland, CO 80466
Email: joe@eagle-access.net
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