Guilty
After 49 painfully drawn out days in court, the jury took only 13 hours to come back with a verdict: James Holmes is guilty on all first degree murder charges. Now the trial moves into the sentencing phase. Will Holmes be put to death for his crimes? Via The Aurora Sentinel.
Unexpected competition
Greenwood Village Democrat Perry Haney will challenge state Sen. Morgan Carroll for the chance to run against incumbent Rep. Mike Coffman in the coveted 6th Congressional District. But just because Perry dropped $1 million of his own money already doesn’t mean Haney is in for good — in 2012 he dropped his candidacy for the same seat after just 24 hours, reports Lynn Bartels in The Denver Post.
Bribed
Federal prosecutors allege a former Regional Transportation District senior manager accepted up to $145,000 in bribes, according to new court filings that rely on testimony from a cooperating witness who’s been tied up in other government bribery cases. Via The Denver Post.
New leader
Democrats in the state senate elected Lucia Guzman from northwest Denver to take over as Minority Leader now that Sen. Morgan Carroll is running for U.S. Congress. The vote was unanimous. Via The Gazette.
Fallen twice
The Colorado Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit Thursday in which four concertgoers claimed their injuries from a 2011 rockfall at Red Rocks Amphitheater were the result of the City of Denver’s negligence. City attorneys argued an immunity law protects Denver from liability — even though the city shirked engineers’ maintenance suggestions. Via Westword.
Saving jobs
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will be in Aspen on Friday, leaving residents of Craig to wonder if they’ll get paid a visit too. Her department has to review local Colowyo Mine by September to save over 200 coal workers’ jobs. Via The Craig Daily Press.
Stay hydrated
Colorado is almost entirely drought-free after years of thirst, according to a federal report released Thursday. Via The Denver Post.
James Holmes’s mugshot by Arapahoe County Detention Center, fair use, via WikiMedia.
