FORT COLLINS — Fort Collins police Lt. Jim Broderick, accused of felony perjury related to his work in the Tim Masters murder investigation, was advised of his rights in a Larimer County courtroom Friday.
Broderick hobbled into district court on crutches and told visiting Weld County District Judge James Hartmann that he understood his rights as an accused felon.
He also could have been arraigned, but his attorney, Patrick Tooley, asked Hartmann for additional time to review more than 3,300 pages of evidence in the case as well as various CDs and DVDs related to the case.
Broderick spent about 10 minutes in front of Hartmann.
An unfriendly crowd, including Masters’ family and people connected to the group Judicial Justice for Larimer County, filled the two rows behind him.
“I have no special feelings of hate toward Broderick,” said John Masters, Tim Masters’ uncle. “I just think he’s a piece of slime. He’d done a disservice to a lot of good police officers out there.”
Broderick was indicted by a Larimer County grand jury last month on eight counts of felony perjury for his role in building a case against Tim Masters. Masters was convicted in 1998 of mutilating and killing Peggy Hettrick in 1987.
But in 2008, a visiting judge overturned Masters’ conviction after ruling that new DNA tests pointed to another person in Hettrick’s killing. Masters was released from prison after having served 10 years. The two prosecutors in the case — Jolene Blair and Terence Gilmore — have been censured by an arm of the Colorado Supreme Court for their role in the case.
Blair and Gilmore are now Larimer County District Court judges and are up for a retention vote in November.
Hartmann was named visiting judge in the case because Blair and Gilmore may be called as witnesses if a criminal case proceeds.
Judicial Justice for Larimer County is lobbying against the retention of Blair and Gilmore, and several group members joined the Masters family outside the Larimer courthouse to bash both judges and Broderick.
“This is historic, to break down the big blue wall,” said Judicial Justice’s Carol Davy. “You know police protect their own, but not this time.”
Grand jurors claimed Broderick — who has been put on paid administrative leave — fabricated evidence to convict Masters.
There was no physical evidence linking Masters to Hettrick. Her murder remains unsolved.
Broderick, meanwhile, faces a second internal police investigation into his conduct during the Masters probe, said Fort Collins police spokeswoman Rita Davis. An internal investigation cleared Broderick in 2008 after Masters was released from prison.
Masters has settled with Larimer County and Fort Collins for a total of $10 million.
Broderick said little during the Friday morning hearing, only answering Hartmann’s questions about his rights as a defendant. His next appearance is Sept. 28. Tooley wouldn’t say why Broderick was on crutches. His only comment: “It hurts.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
