Homebrew: Aurora convict back in prison after clerical mistake, but should he be?

Big mistake

If a convict gets accidentally released and starts a family, takes a steady job and gets his life back on track, is it OK to let the mistake go and let him be free? The Colorado Court of Appeals is set to hear the case of Rene Lima-Marin whose life hinges on that question. Unless his attorney successfully argues that locking him up all over again constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment,” Lima-Marin will serve out the rest of his 98-year sentence. Via The Aurora Sentinel.

No-confidence

Commerce City Police Chief Troy Smith got slammed with a no-confidence vote from the vast majority of officers he oversees. But Mayor Sean Ford said City Council has the chief’s back. The police union’s declaration states that the rank-and-file “lost all faith, trust and confidence in the ability of Troy Smith to serve in the honorable office of the Chief of Police.” Via The Denver Post.

Let there be science

On Monday, the Obama administration did some bureaucratic weeding to make the field of marijuana research more streamlined and accessible. It’s a move that legalization opponents and advocates alike have said is overdue. Michael Roberts covers this good day for science in Westword.

Investigation continues

A law-enforcement task force issued a news release Tuesday about possibly connected roadway shootings in Northern Colorado, revealing that a fourth, previously undisclosed attack has been added to the investigation. In it, officials stressed that nothing is for sure yet, and they still need the public’s help identifying a “vehicle-of-interest.” Via The Daily Camera.

Break it down for me

The Coloradoan‘s Jason Pohl lays out the five things you need to know about the string of shootings that’ve left one injured and two dead in Northern Colorado.

No trans fats, no problem

Health-conscious Boulder County restaurants say the Obama administration’s recent order for food companies to phase out trans fats is no skin off their backs because they don’t use the stuff anyway.  Via Longmont Times-Call.

 

Photo by Flood G., Creative Commons, via Flickr