Larry Manzanares was known as a judge who was adamant about preserving the dignity and rights of everyone before him. To our great dismay, he was not afforded the same level of civility. Instead, Larry was caught in a perfect storm that resulted in his death.
Last January, he was appointed Denver city attorney, making him an ideal political target to those with opposing views. Larry’s political persuasion ultimately led to a suggestion of a cover-up.
The only publication in town to sensationalize the story ad nauseam was the Rocky Mountain News. Larry had refused to allow the News to publish photos of juveniles accused of murder during their trials. He paid the price in a 2001 editorial filled with false statements blasting him for protecting the rights of these defendants. Editor John Temple portrayed Larry as an autocrat who was “too eager to protect the defendants’ faces from public exposure.” The charges against Larry provided the editor his chance to prove the real point: You sell more newspapers when you include photos of defendants who are of interest to the public.
The News repeatedly published Larry’s mug shot to accompany the lurid stories they wrote about him. When compared with the coverage in other newspapers in Colorado, the Rocky Mountain News was excessively harsh in both the content and quantity of its coverage.
Lastly, a change in venue resulted in an overzealous Jefferson County district attorney, Scott Storey, prosecuting the case. He was hell-bent on enhancing a career with the notoriety that can come from prosecuting an ex-judge. For an alleged theft of a used computer with an estimated value of $500, Storey compiled 1,200 pages of evidence and orchestrated a press conference to release an 80-page affidavit announcing inflated charges. That melodrama was unprecedented for a case of this nature. Storey then chose to publicly humiliate the ex-judge with accusations involving pornography, which had little or no pertinence to the charges.
Larry’s counsel offered to resolve the charges through negotiation. Instead, Storey insisted Larry do the “perp walk” under the glare of television cameras. Larry’s case could have been resolved outside the carnival-like atmosphere Storey chose to create.
Leads discovered in the investigation to support Larry’s claim of buying the computer were never followed. Surveillance tapes available from the Denver Art Museum were never viewed. Workers in the courthouse during the weeks surrounding the disappearance of the computer were never interviewed. A polygraph test submitted by a former FBI agent of considerable stature was ignored.
Larry never had a chance for a fair trial; he had been tried in the press. Larry was never presumed innocent. He was convicted before the first juror ever entered a courtroom.
DAs are allowed great latitude in their work. Storey exploited this opportunity. He hides behind this latitude to justify his immoral actions. He has not accepted responsibility for the consequences of his actions. The pornographic images, so publicly dangled before the media in Storey’s press conference, were family issues to be considered in the privacy of Larry’s home.
We point out that none of the charges were based on the human and legal activity of viewing adult material. Other changes in the software were adequate to support the tampering charges, so the exploitation of this information was unnecessary. Certainly, Larry used bad judgment when he bought the computer. The punishment certainly does not fit the alleged crime.
DAs should take a lesson from Storey’s lack of responsibility and remember Larry before deciding how to prosecute a case. In the end, the dignity and fairness Larry provided to others was denied him by a vengeful newspaper editor and an ambitious DA. Because of these actions, the public lost a faithful servant and the family lost our dearest Larry.
I also ask that you consider the sources when reading a newspaper. Also, that you hold prosecutors, like other public officials, accountable for their actions.
We miss you, Larry.
Stan Manzanares is the brother of Larry Manzanares and lives in Boulder.
