Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler will not face professional sanctions over a social media message he posted from the courtroom during the Aurora movie theater murder trial.
On June 4, as the defense cross-examined a prosecution witness whose video-recorded interview of James Holmes was a key piece of evidence in the trial, Brauchler posted a message to Twitter saying, “I agree on the video. I hope the jury thinks so, too.” Brauchler quickly deleted the message, and later said he thought he was replying to a text message.
The gaffe , a rebuke by the judge and, ultimately, the dismissal of three of the trial’s jurors who became aware of the incident after one juror’s husband read about it in the news and told her. A Denver woman with ties to statehouse Democrats later against Brauchler, a Republican, over the gaffe.
On Friday, a lawyer with the state Attorney Regulation Counsel wrote in a letter to Brauchler and the complainant that, “there is not clear and convincing evidence to conclude there is a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct.” The lawyer cited Brauchler’s apology for the gaffe, among other factors.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068
