Statetap: Aurora theater shooting prosecutor exits legal team

Dan Zook, the experienced death penalty prosecutor brought to the Arapahoe County DA’s office specifically to make the case against James Holmes, the alleged Aurora Theater shooter, is no longer on the case, according to the the Aurora Sentinel. His law license has been listed as “inactive” since March. Nobody will talk about why Zook left the case.

statetap Frontier Airlines, which calls itself “Denver’s hometown carrier,” announced Monday that it will be cutting service and jobs at Denver International Airport because of rising taxes and landing fees. At DIA, “operating costs have risen faster than any other major U.S. airport over the past decade” CEO Dave Siegal wrote in a Nov. 17 letter to his employees. Via the Gazette. Frontier aims to carve its niche in the industry as the country’s “ultra-low-cost carrier” but it has drawn heat for customer service policies that many frustrated passengers say hide fees.

It’s getting harder and harder for first time homebuyers in Aurora to buy, not rent. Developers and builders predictably blame a 2005 construction defect law. Via the Aurora Sentinel.

The state’s Edibles Work Group – consisting of lawmakers and various marijuana industry stakeholders – heard six proposals on Monday about how to protect people from inadvertently consuming THC infused edible products. Since recreational marijuana was legalized in 2012, a handful of incidents involving edibles raised fears about accidental ingestion, especially around Halloween time when people were concerned that THC would somehow sneak into kids’ candy hauls. No such incidents were reported. Still, some lawmakers want to search for ways to tighten regulations. At the meeting, no decisions were made nor was any real semblance of consensus reached, reports Peter Marcus at the Durango Herald. In fact, tensions were higher after the meeting than before the meeting.

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, Colorado U.S. Attorney John Walsh and Mexican Consul General Carlos Bello signed a “memorandum of understanding” aimed at helping Mexican immigrants, regardless of legal status, feel comfortable reporting crimes to U.S. authorities without fear of deportation. Via the Pueblo Chieftain.

Colorado congressman Jared Polis made it to the final round of consideration to lead the DSCC’s fundraising efforts ahead of 2016. House minority leader Nancy Pelosi selected Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico instead. In a statement, Polis said Luján is “an excellent choice” for the post and that he’s “relieved” to have been passed over. So that’s that. Via the Denver Post.

Twenty-two people aged 17 to 63 slept outside in single-digit weather during the “Night Out for Homeless Youth” – an event at the First United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs aimed at raising awareness for homeless teens and money for Urban Peak, a Denver nonprofit. The Gazette‘s Christian Murdock attended.