Re: Sept. 23 news story.
OnceÌıagain, we read that 18th Judicial District’s DistrictÌıAttorney George Brauchler may seek the death penalty, thisÌıtime against Kevin Lee Lyons, whose lawyers are alreadyÌıpositioning for an insanity plea. One would think thisÌıDA would have learned a few lessons via the James HolmesÌıprosecution, which cost taxpayers many millions of dollars,Ìıonly to reach a verdict no better (and arguably worse) thanÌıwhat Holmes’ defense lawyers had offered as a pleaÌıbargain virtually on day one of that case. Colorado juryÌıinstructions heavily disfavor capital punishment byÌıessentially giving any single juror a power of veto — and inÌıthe broader context, for a great many years, no one onÌıColorado’s death row has been put to death,Ìıas every such case becomes mired in decades of subsequentÌıappeals and other legal maneuvering.
Peter Ehrlich,ÌıDenverÌı
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