ProgressNow.org Daily News Digest :: Colorado News

<<	January 2009	>>
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Colorado News :: Marriage and Family Issues

NOTE: some news sites require free registration in order to read their stories. Follow these and other news stories at http://www.progressnowaction.org.

Support the daily news digest! Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution:
https://secure.progressnow.org/page/contribute

Page 1 of 10 pages 1 2 3 > Last »

12/19/2008

Kids hurt by drug dealing to get special consideration : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/18/denver-improves-protection-kids-drug-houses/ Children found in homes where drug dealing or manufacturing is going on will get better care under new policies put in place Thursday, officials said. Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey and other officials announced new child abuse policies that give specifics for how drug-endangered children will be treated. "These are children who are not only at risk for child abuse but medical problems from exposure to chemicals found in drugs or used in their manufacture," Morrissey said. "Some people say drug cases are victimless crimes, but they are not victimless crimes when children are involved." Home meth labs pose a particular danger, he said. "When these people pass out after hours of meth use and go into a meth coma, the kids are just left on their own with no food, no water, toilets backed up, all kinds of things," he said. Young children in these situations are also at risk of ingesting the drugs themselves, he said.

12/16/2008

Teen pleads guilty to child abuse resulting in death in ‘Mortal Kombat’ case | GreeleyTribune.com

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081216/NEWS/812169988/1002/NONE A last-minute deal will effectively put an end to the so-called “Mortal Kombat” case that resulted in the death of a 7-year-old girl last year. On Monday, a little more than a week after the first anniversary of Zoe Garcia’s death, Lamar Roberts, 19, pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in her death. He faces from 16-48 years in prison, with no agreed-upon sentencing. A second charge of child abuse was dropped in the deal. “The court also finds based on motions hearings ... there’s a factual basis to support a guilty plea,” said Judge Marcelo Kopcow, after determining Roberts pleaded guilty on his own free will.

Weld teen pleads guilty in death of body-slammed 7-year-old - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11238841 A 17-year-old accused of body-slamming 7-year-old Zoe Garcia and causing her death last year faces up to 48 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in Weld County District Court today. Lamar Roberts pleaded guilty to child abuse — knowingly/recklessly causing death, said Weld County District Attorney spokeswoman Jennifer Finch. Heather Trujillo, also 17, pleaded guilty for her role in Zoe's death. Trujillo — Zoe's sister — pleaded guilty in May to child abuse — negligently causing death. Her sentence was suspended on the condition she successfully complete six years in Colorado's Youth Offender System.

12/12/2008

Jury: Novak guilty of theft : Erie : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/11/novak-jury-hits-15-hours-deliberation/ Former Erie trustee Lisa Novak faces the possibility of 11 to 31½ years in prison after a jury on Thursday convicted her of stealing money from prospective parents. Novak, 48, has been on trial since Dec. 1 on charges relating to her now-defunct, Boulder-based Claar Foundation adoption agency. Of the nine counts of theft and one count of fraud by check that Novak faced, the jury of nine women and three men decided she is guilty of fraud, two counts of theft of $20,000 or more and theft between $1,000 and $20,000 — all felonies. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 6. Novak remains free on bond but has moved out of the state. She was ordered to report to probation to make arrangements to leave Colorado until her sentencing hearing, and to undergo a pre-sentence evaluation. While state sentencing guidelines call for up to three decades in prison for the charges, Novak could instead receive probation, parole, community corrections or any combination of those options since theft does not carry a mandatory minimum sentence.

12/11/2008

Colorado DMV yields over name change - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11189914 Following numerous complaints stemming from a new rule on newlywed name changes, the Division of Motor Vehicles has decided to give women more choices when picking their married monikers. In mid-November, a new set of DMV directives barred women from taking their maiden names as their middle names on their driver's license unless they obtained a court order. Less than a month later, the division is striking that rule, effective Dec. 15. Officials didn't count the number of calls and complaints that poured in, but Department of Revenue spokesman Mark Couch said it was "lots."

Grant helps agency battling domestic violence | GreeleyTribune.com

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081211/NEWS/812119981/1002/NONE The Verizon Wireless HopeLine program has given a $10,000 grant to expand the services of A Woman’s Place, a community nonprofit agency helping families who have experienced domestic violence, according to a press release. Funds will be used to better provide emergency shelter, prevention and intervention resources, the release stated. Established more than a decade ago, the HopeLine program supports domestic violence awareness programs across the country. Its primary mission is to place recycled and donated phones in the hands of domestic violence victims for emergencies. In addition, it takes the money generated from the sale of refurbished phones to aid those organizations helping domestic violence survivors in the life-rebuilding process. HopeLine phone donations are accepted at all Verizon Wireless locations, according to the release.

12/10/2008

‘Call in gay’ aimed at public awareness : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/09/day-without-gay-makes-debut/ If everyone at Out Front Colorado were to "call in gay" today and skip work, only the comptroller and a staff photographer would show up at the office. That probably won't happen, said Greg Montoya, editor and publisher of the paper that covers Colorado's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. That would be beside the point of making people aware of the GLBT presence in the larger community, rather than just in gay- owned and operated businesses. But Montoya is supportive of today's "Day Without a Gay," a nationwide protest. "I think they're trying to make a point that the GLBT community is employed in so many industries across the board," Montoya said.

Some workers may “call in gay” - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_11181904 Cris Jones plans to take a personal day off from work today but not because he's feeling sick. The transportation planner with the city of Boulder is going to "call in gay." He's joining others in a "Day Without a Gay," a nationwide boycott of work prompted by Californians' recent passage of a proposition banning gay marriage. "It is important for the (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) community to make a united stand in the pursuit of equal rights," he said. "If just one person in my workplace becomes more educated about the inequity I face as a gay man as a result of this stand, then it will certainly be worth it." The Colorado Queer Straight Alliance organized a volunteer day today at the African Community Center in east Denver. The group was expecting at least eight volunteers, coordinator Jules Graves said. Some critics have questioned the wisdom of holding the boycott as the deepening economic recession has many already fearing for their jobs.

Jury begins deliberations in Novak trial : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/09/novak-trial-reaches-closing-arguments/ The fate of a former Erie trustee accused of stealing money from prospective parents who did business with her former Boulder-based adoption agency is now in the hands of a jury. Lisa Novak, 48, began her trial on multiple theft and fraud charges relating to her now-defunct Claar Foundation adoption agency last week. The trial was expected to last up to 12 days, however Novak’s defense attorney did not call any witnesses and did not call on Novak to testify in her own defense — substantially shortening the length of the trial. The jurors — nine women and three men — began deliberating Novak’s fate at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

12/9/2008

Social services reports three child sex assaults : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/08/social-services-reports-three-child-sex-assaults/ Boulder police are investigating three cases of sexual assault on a child that were reported Friday but are not related. The cases were forwarded to police from the Boulder County Department of Social Services. Boulder police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley said they “all have different fact patterns” and different suspects. “They are not related in any way,” she said. All of the people suspected in the alleged assaults know the children they’re accused of violating, Huntley said.

12/5/2008

Survey: More Coloradoans embracing gay unions | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/gay_44440___article.html/marriage_unions.html Two years ago, by a 57 percent to 43 percent margin, Colorado voters approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman. At the same time, they also defeated a measure to allow civil unions. Now, according to a survey released Thursday, more Coloradans appear to be embracing ideas such as civil unions and gay marriage. A slim majority of Coloradans support gay marriage and four-fifths support gay civil unions, according to the survey commissioned by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in California, and conducted Nov. 10-16 by Harris Interactive with 502 Colorado residents. GLAAD conducted a national poll, but Colorado was the only state the group polled separately. Even though California's Proposition 8 to outlaw gay marriage is more timely, having passed in the November election, the group felt that Colorado's history on gay issues and its being home to two opposing forces on the issue - Focus on the Family and the Gill Foundation - made this the best crucible for their research. GLAAD's leaders seemed pleased with the results. "Visibility is leading to the conversation, and the conversation with family and friends is giving people a better understanding about gay and lesbian people," said Neil Giuliano, president of GLAAD. "And they understand we need legal protections just like everyone else." But some say GLAAD's numbers seem slanted. "My first reaction is that these results seem pretty high, and I say that because of the disparity between what Colorado voters said in 2006 and what this survey says," said Jenny Tyree, a marriage analyst at Focus on the Family.

Defense questions ‘dark cloud’ in Novak trial : Erie : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/04/defense-questions-dark-cloud-novak-trial/ The defense attorney for Lisa Novak, a former Erie trustee on trial for suspected theft and fraud relating to her former Boulder adoption agency, began day four of the two-week trial Thursday by questioning a key witness in the case. Novak’s attorney, Lance Goff, has previously described Carol Kuzdek — a prospective parent who said she lost thousands of dollars to Novak — as a “dark cloud.” Goff painted a picture for the jury that Kuzdek was impatient with the international adoption process, and that she rallied other distraught would-be parents against Novak when her adoption soured. “You felt you were the Claar Foundation’s most important customer,” Goff said to Kuzdek. She replied that she did not, and denied the attorney’s claims that she was “rude” and “incomprehensible” toward Novak and members of her former Boulder-based agency, the Claar Foundation.

12/4/2008

Divorced Colorado couple can’t afford to live apart : Nation : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/03/divorced-colorado-couple-cant-afford-live-apart/ Running into your ex is almost always awkward and stressful. David Snyder and Nancy Partridge deal with it nearly every day. The Colorado couple divorced after six years of marriage but have been forced to live together for months because they can't sell their place or afford to set up separate households in this slumping economy. Snyder gets the master bedroom, while Partridge gets a smaller one. Snyder watches TV on one end of the house, Partridge on the other. The two split the grocery bill and kitchen duties. Sometimes they eat dinner together, sometimes apart. There are awkward silences, or worse. "We've had tremendous arguments over things like who gets to park in the garage, but at this point, it's kind of settling down into a routine," said Partridge, 45, who works in public relations and lives in Westminster. "It's the lesser of two evils. I think the financial stress of a foreclosure, which would probably also lead to a bankruptcy, would be worse."

More stories in National/Economy | Colorado/Economy

Nicholls gets life for murdering children | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/nicholls_44354___article.html/three_life.html A judge Wednesday brought to a close the disturbing case of three young children slain in an arson fire when he sentenced their mother to life in prison. Fourth Judicial District Judge Steven Pelican ordered Deborah Lee Nicholls to serve three life sentences, one after the other. A jury last week convicted the 41-year-old Nicholls of three counts of first-degree murder for the March 7, 2003, homicides of Jay, 11, Sophia, 5, and Sierra, 3. During six weeks of trial, jurors heard evidence that Nicholls and her husband, Timothy Nicholls, doused the living room furniture of their home at 4107 Undimmed Circle with a highly flammable solvent. Then, while the children were sleeping in their upstairs bedrooms, the living room was ignited, causing a raging fire that quickly killed the three children. The couple was addicted to methamphetamine and they were hoping to cash in on insurance money to pull the family out of financial ruin caused by drug debts, according to evidence at trial.

Mother sentenced to life in kids’ killings - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11132077 A woman convicted of killing her three children by burning down her home for insurance money was sentenced Wednesday to three consecutive life terms without parole. Deborah Nicholls, 41, was convicted last week on three counts of first-degree murder and 14 other felonies. The jury needed less than three hours to return its verdict. The 2003 fire killed 11- year-old Jay, 5-year-old Sophia and 3-year-old Sierra Nicholls. Prosecutors said Nicholls and her husband, Timothy Nicholls, were meth users who hoped insurance money from the fire would get them out of financial problems caused by their drug use. Timothy Nicholls was convicted last year of felony murder and is serving life without parole.

Witnesses continue testimony in trial of former Erie trustee : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/03/witnesses-continue-testimony-trial-former-erie-tru/ Boulder prosecutors on Wednesday continued their case against a former Erie Trustee accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from couples hoping to adopt using her former Boulder-based agency. Lisa Novak, 48, is charged with multiple counts of felony theft and fraud in a case where she is accused of failing to deliver on adoptions and pocketing fees. Attorneys from both sides began the day Wednesday -- day three of the 12-day trial -- arguing over the admissibility of certain documents as evidence. Boulder District Judge Maria E. Berkenkotter also warned the attorneys to better communicate about documents so that the jury of 12 seated in the case isn't kept waiting. At 9:40 a.m., the trial resumed with Novak's defense attorney, Lance Goff, finishing his cross examination of Linda Singh.

12/3/2008

Defense: Novak a ‘scapegoat’ for angry clients : Erie : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/02/defense-novak-a-scapegoat-for-angry-clients/ A former Erie trustee accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from couples hoping to adopt children through her former Boulder-based agency is a "scapegoat" for angry would-be parents, her attorney told a jury Tuesday. Lisa Novak, 48, is charged with multiple counts of felony theft and fraud in a case where she is accused of failing to deliver on adoptions and pocketing the fees. Novak's trial began Monday and resumed Tuesday with opening statements from her defense attorney, Lance Goff, and emotional testimony from former clients who said they lost children and huge sums of money by trusting the businesswoman. Goff told the panel of 12 jurors and two alternates seated for the 12-day trial that some of Novak's former clients who had failed adoptions went to the Boulder District Attorney's Office with claims that Novak had scammed them only after becoming "panicked" that some countries closed their borders to international adoptions. "They were not buying children, they were paying to participate in a process," Goff said of the "unlucky" clients who weren't able to adopt.

12/2/2008

The Longmont Times-Call - Lisa Novak’s defense: Adoptions are risky

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=12545 The risks associated with international adoption — not criminal activity — caused some parents to lose money to a Boulder adoption agency, a defense attorney argued Monday afternoon. “An agreement to adopt a child is nothing like buying french fries,” defense attorney Lance Goff said in opening arguments in the trial of Lisa Novak. Novak, 48, is standing trial on charges of theft and fraud by check, accused of not returning money to clients of the Claar Foundation when their hoped-for adoptions fell through. From October 2003 until January 2005, Novak was an appointed trustee for the town of Erie. “The Claar Foundation was a legitimate adoption agency,” Goff said. But when potential parents pay fees to adopt a child, there is no guarantee they will be able to adopt, he said.

Autism’s terrible toll: Parents risk hitting “a breaking point” - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11116100 Jacob Grabe, 13, could sense a storm coming several days out. He would get agitated and make strange noises. Silverware bothered him. He could eat only from plastic forks and spoons. He breezed through complicated algebra but struggled with basic division. Nearly three months ago, when his father, Allen, allegedly shot and killed him while he was sleeping, Jacob had been exhibiting these and many other symptoms of the mysterious disorder autism for most of his short life. He had great difficulty making friends. He had trouble controlling outbursts. He had been shuffled from school to school. He had, in recent years, made some improvements with medications. But there is no cure for autism. Friends of the family say Jacob's father feared his son would never be able to live a normal life. So Jacob became another statistic in a sad, pressure-cooker reality for families with autistic children.

Denver family charged in abuse of kids they took in - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11113838 The Denver district attorney's office has charged three members of a family with the sexual abuse of a young girl and boy they were caring for. The children's mother has also been charged with complicity.

12/1/2008

Economy forces more adoptions | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan,

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20081127/NEWS01/811270333/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02 Usually the Fort Collins agency places infants immediately from the hospital, but this year it has handled three relinquishments of children who were 3 months, 7 months and 11 months old. In two of the cases the mothers were in their 30s. For one of the mothers, the baby was her first child, for the other, the baby was her third. The third mother was in her mid-20s and the baby was her first child. "Our goal is to help birth parents feel really positive about themselves, what they've done, their children and the adoptive family," Gallagher said. "What matters the very most is finding a loving family that can provide for this child in a way the birth parents want this child to be provided for." Katie Caufield, an adoption counselor with Lutheran Family Services, said the agency hasn't seen birth moms relinquishing their children due to the economy, but she said it may be too early to tell. "It's a little bit new to see any real trends."

More stories in National/Economy | Colorado/Economy

Gay rights advocates picket Boulder cineplex : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/nov/30/gay-advocates-protest-milk/ Anthony Hernandez started boycotting Cinemark movie theaters in 2006, when a manager asked him and an ex-boyfriend to leave a movie because other patrons didn’t like that the couple was holding hands. So it was an easy decision to join about 50 other gay rights advocates this afternoon outside Century Boulder Theatre to protest the nearly $10,000 donation that Cinemark-Century owner Alan Stock made in support of the recently passed California proposition that prohibits same-sex marriage. “I was furious,” said Hernandez, who works in Boulder and lives in Windsor. “When you’re representing such a large company, it’s inappropriate to make a statement that offends so many of your customers. We deserve a little more respect.” The protest on Boulder’s Twenty Ninth Street mall coincided with Cinemark’s national opening weekend for “Milk” — a film based on the true story of Harvey Milk, one of the nation’s first openly gay elected officials.

Protesters target Prop 8 at Boulder movie theater - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11109164 Nearly 150 people showed up for a peaceful protest at Century Boulder Theatre on Sunday afternoon, according to protest organizers. Johann Moonesinghe, who headed the protest against Cinemark-Century chief executive Alan Stock, said the group passed out more than 300 fliers about Stock's $9,999 donation to the Yes on 8 campaign in California at the theater on 29th Street in Boulder. Proposition 8 changes the California Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman, effectively prohibiting same-sex marriage. State voters approved the proposition in the Nov. 4 election. "We had a lot of people who were unaware," Moonesinghe said. "Many of them came and decided not to see a movie today." Boulder police received no complaints about the hour-long protest.

11/26/2008

Adoption effort gets “phenomenal” results - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11075305 About 250 families took the first steps toward adoption of the 790 children waiting in the state's foster-care system after Saturday's "Wait No More" event at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Religious organizations traditionally help with adoptions, state officials said, but the 1,300-person turnout at the one-day event, sponsored by Focus on the Family and New Life, was unprecedented. It is two to three times the number of people who attend adoption orientations in the seven participating counties in one full year, said Dr. Sharen Ford of the Colorado Division of Child Welfare Services. "It was phenomenal. It's never happened before that we had faith-based groups, county governments, the state and other agencies in one place at one time," Ford said. "People care about Colorado's kids."

The Longmont Times-Call - Ex-trustee faces new charge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=12414 Prosecutors on Tuesday added a 10th charge in the case against a former Erie trustee accused of stealing thousands from clients who hired her adoption agency to arrange for international adoptions. Boulder District Judge Maria Berkenkotter allowed the new charge against Lisa Novak, who ran the Claar Foundation adoption agency with her husband, at a pretrial hearing Tuesday afternoon. The trial is set to begin Monday in Boulder District Court and, according to attorneys, will include 27 prosecution witnesses and at least 10 defense witnesses. Novak may also choose to testify in her own defense in the jury trial scheduled to last 12 days. Counting the new charge, Novak is facing seven felony theft charges, one felony fraud by check charge and one misdemeanor theft charge, all related to the adoption business. Novak was arrested in March after a couple told police they paid the Claar Foundation $25,000 in December to adopt a girl from Guatemala. When the couple learned the foundation was closing, they asked for their money back and for their files, but received neither, according to police.

Page 1 of 10 pages 1 2 3 > Last »

Search

Categories

National News

Colorado News

ProgressNow.org Daily News Digest

Colorado News :: Marriage and Family Issues

12/19/2008

Kids hurt by drug dealing to get special consideration : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

12/16/2008

Teen pleads guilty to child abuse resulting in death in ‘Mortal Kombat’ case | GreeleyTribune.com

Weld teen pleads guilty in death of body-slammed 7-year-old - The Denver Post

12/12/2008

Jury: Novak guilty of theft : Erie : Boulder Daily Camera

12/11/2008

Colorado DMV yields over name change - The Denver Post

Grant helps agency battling domestic violence | GreeleyTribune.com

12/10/2008

‘Call in gay’ aimed at public awareness : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

Some workers may “call in gay” - The Denver Post

Jury begins deliberations in Novak trial : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

12/9/2008

Social services reports three child sex assaults : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

12/5/2008

Survey: More Coloradoans embracing gay unions | Gazette.com

Defense questions ‘dark cloud’ in Novak trial : Erie : Boulder Daily Camera

12/4/2008

Divorced Colorado couple can’t afford to live apart : Nation : The Rocky Mountain News

Nicholls gets life for murdering children | Gazette.com

Mother sentenced to life in kids’ killings - The Denver Post

Witnesses continue testimony in trial of former Erie trustee : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

12/3/2008

Defense: Novak a ‘scapegoat’ for angry clients : Erie : Boulder Daily Camera

12/2/2008

The Longmont Times-Call - Lisa Novak’s defense: Adoptions are risky

Autism’s terrible toll: Parents risk hitting “a breaking point” - The Denver Post

Denver family charged in abuse of kids they took in - The Denver Post

12/1/2008

Economy forces more adoptions | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan,

Gay rights advocates picket Boulder cineplex : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

Protesters target Prop 8 at Boulder movie theater - The Denver Post

11/26/2008

Adoption effort gets “phenomenal” results - The Denver Post

The Longmont Times-Call - Ex-trustee faces new charge