The Colorado State Open Thread is by, for and about our wonderful state of Colorado. There have been a number of headlines in papers like the Denver Post, Colorado Sun and others that I would like to bring to you for your enjoyment and entertainment. So, without further much ado about nothing, let us begin. You may comment afterwards about what you think and what’s on your own minds.
- My favorite story of the week: From: www.denverpost.com/...
A driver in southeast Colorado over the weekend attempted a novel method for getting out of trouble.
Springfield police in rural Baca County stopped the individual on Saturday night for traveling 52 in a 30-mph zone.
But as officers watched, the driver “attempted to switch places with his dog who was in the passenger seat,” police said in a Facebook post.
“The male party then exited the passenger side of the vehicle and claimed he was not driving,” authorities said.
An edit from the Baca County Sheriff’s office added: EDIT: The dog was given to an acquaintance of the driver to take care of while the party was in jail. The dog does not face any charges and was let go with just a warning. The man tried to run from deputies and was arrested within 20 yards on suspicion of DUI.
- Judges and their toys. www.denverpost.com/… Ex-judge previously disciplined for AR-15 threat is newly censured by Colorado Supreme Court over angry outbursts.
Just two days after a Colorado judge returned to work after serving a disciplinary suspension for threatening his stepson with an AR-15-style rife, the judge lost his temper on the bench and berated attorneys in a case, according to new disciplinary action issued Monday by the Colorado Supreme Court.
The now-former judge, Mark Thompson, became angry with attorneys in a civil case during a November hearing after the lawyers did not follow his instructions for filing particular legal documents, according to the public censure. Thompson then “berated counsel in a tone that was rude, condescending and mocking,” according to the censure.
The judge threatened to hold the attorneys in contempt of court and send them to jail, threatened to report them for professional discipline, and said that although the jury trial could no longer go forward due to the delay, he would nevertheless call in all 80 prospective jurors and have the attorneys personally tell the prospective jurors “how proud they were of themselves for wasting the jury’s time by forcing the jurors to come to court for a trial that counsel was not ready for,” according to the public censure. Thompson served as the chief judge in the Fifth Judicial District, which covers Summit, Clear Creek, Eagle and Lake counties, until October 2021, when he was demoted after he was arrested for threatening his stepson with an AR-15-style rifle during an argument in July 2021.
Just the kind of even temperament Colorado needs on the bench. He apparently resigned from the bench on his own.
From the Colorado Sun. coloradosun.com/… After decades of closures, a new 40-bed psych unit in Aurora may represent a U-turn in mental health care.
When UCHealth’s new psychiatric unit accepts its first patients this summer, it will make a small dent in Colorado’s severe shortage of in-patient psychiatric beds. But while mental health advocates are praising the effort, they say it’s not nearly enough to make up for years of psychiatric bed closures at hospitals throughout Colorado.
Still, it’s 40 fewer people who will have to sit in emergency departments because the state’s psychiatric beds are full.
The new unit on the Anschutz campus in Aurora represents a turnabout in health care, a move by some hospital systems to incorporate mental health care after decades of downsizing or cutting it out completely — at least that is the hope of mental health advocates. In 2009, University Hospital closed its psychiatric unit because, at the time, the hospital didn’t have enough space for people in need of surgeries and other medical care, hospital officials said.
coloradosun.com/… Colorado doubles down on its move away from relying on rented aircraft to fight wildfires.
Colorado is doubling down on its push to rely less on rented aircraft to fight wildfires with the purchase of a second helicopter capable of quickly crisscrossing the state to detect and douse flames.
Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill Friday allocating $26 million to buy another “Firehawk,” a converted version of the military’s ubiquitous Black Hawk helicopter. The Firehawk’s top speed is about 160 mph and it can quickly slurp up and drop 1,000 gallons of water.
When fires aren’t burning, the helicopter can be deployed on search and rescue missions.
Like many of you (I’m guessing) I was sickened by the Texas man who killed his girlfriend after she returned from getting an abortion in Colorado. He had apparently been abusing her during their relationship, and it’s likely that he felt the need to abuse her included shooting her several times when he found out his demon seed wasn’t going to bring abuse to a new generation.
I’ll leave you on a happier note. www.dailykos.com/… rflctammt brings us an update on the abuse of power treatment of the black ranchers east of Colorado Springs.
Any Open Thread I don’t have to write about Boebert is a win as far as I’m concerned. Please let us know what’s on your minds in the comments, and I’ll be back to check in on y’all. In the meantime, the floor is open.