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Colorado National Guard fights captain’s First Amendment lawsuit
The Colorado National Guard on Monday asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by a Colorado captain who alleges his superiors violated his First Amendment rights to free speech, assembly and the press. Capt. Alan Kennedy, a 37-year-old judge advocate, sued several of the Colorado National Guard’s top commanders and generals in March after […]
Here’s what you should know about gun laws in Colorado
In data point after data point, gun violence is historically high in Colorado. In 2020, a near-record number of people killed themselves with a gun, more people were murdered with a gun than any prior year on record, and amid protests against police violence and racial injustice, Colorado climbed to fifth in the nation for […]
Coronavirus lockdowns in prisons test limits of Colorado’s rules on solitary confinement
“Coronavirus Lockdowns in Prisons Test Limits of Colorado’s Rules on Solitary Confinement” was first published by The Colorado Trust. Last summer, Matthew Harter, a 50-year-old from Lakewood, was incarcerated at Centennial Correctional Facility South, a prison in Cañon City, when he started to have trouble breathing. Harter didn’t have COVID-19. He had anxiety, he said, […]
State lawmaker describes BLM protest as anti-government
Earlier this year, Alan Kennedy, a captain in the Colorado National Guard, emailed state lawmakers to let them know he had sued his commanders after they reprimanded him last year for attending a Black Lives Matter protest in Denver last May. Kennedy said he was hoping lawmakers would show their support. But one made a […]
Demands for gun reform heard at rally in Boulder
Though Gov. Jared Polis had said he would sign gun reforms into law this week, Boulder residents and elected officials are demanding that he support a statewide assault-style weapons ban. “We’re fired up. We’re gonna keep pushing him,” said Annette Moore, a co-founder with Blue Rising, a Denver-based liberal political action committee that helped organize […]
Captain sues Colorado National Guard’s top brass over First Amendment right to protest
On May 30, Alan Kennedy, a captain in the Colorado National Guard, joined thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters in Denver to speak out against police violence and racial injustice. Like other peaceful protesters, he said, he was tear-gassed by police. His commander, Maj. Richard Sandrock, said he was concerned Kennedy attended the protest. It […]
Bias against Black people found in Colorado bail reform tool
On Oct. 8, 2018, Samuel Bouknight was arrested on Colfax Avenue and booked into the Denver city jail for driving under the influence of alcohol. A pretrial officer then scored Bouknight using a 12-question survey designed to predict whether he would miss his court date or commit a new crime if released from jail. He […]