We have fielded numerous inquiries about Colorado’s Senate Bill 217 and what it means to peace officers in Colorado. Many officers are worried about what this means for their career and livelihood. City / County / Town attorneys can provide information about the bill as it pertains to your relationship with the agency, but they …
Would you like to talk with a police attorney about Senate Bill 217? Read More »
The US Congress is starting to propose their solutions to the national police reform movement. A number of bills have been proposed or discussed in the public sphere, but the JUSTICE Act seems to the bill that has the most realistic chance of becoming law. This 106-page bill was introduced in the Senate by a …
On the heels of Colorado’s Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act, President Trump signed an executive order also aimed at police integrity / accountability. The important provisions are as follows: President Trump ordered the Department of Justice to tie discretionary grant funding to state and local law enforcement agencies that have accreditation or are seeking accreditation …
Presidential Executive Order Regarding Police Accountability Read More »
Now that this bill has passed the legislature, is on the way to Governor Polis’ desk for signature, we are going to give a comprehensive look into the portions of this bill that directly affect law enforcement officers. QUALIFIED IMMUNITY / CIVIL LIABILITY The defense of “qualified immunity” is no longer available to peace officers. …
Final version of the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act. Read More »
Yesterday, the House committee reviewing the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act passed a number of amendments to the bill. The following is a summary of the amendments that most directly affect law enforcement officers but are not all the changes. For a summary of how the bill has progressed, please see our previous posts. We …
Update to the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act Read More »
Yesterday, the Colorado legislature introduced new amendments to the Act that officers need to be aware. As this bill is progressing quickly, and will likely be voted on late this week, we are going to try to keep you up to date with the changes. These are not all the changes or provisions, but the …
New Developments in Colorado’s Law Enforcement Integrity Act Read More »
THE ABOLITION OF QUALIFIED IMMUNITYMost alarmingly is this legislation aims to remove the protections of qualified immunity leaving peace officers personally liable for up to $100,000 even in instances where they engaged in the good faith performance of their duties. The core purpose of the doctrine of qualified immunity is to preserve the integrity of …
Colorado’s “Law Enforcement Integrity and Accountability Act,” Part 5 of 5 Read More »
MORE CHANGES TO POSTIn addition to decertification for excessive force, POST must create and maintain a database for tracking information related to officer’s 1) untruthfulness 2) compliance with training requirements, 3) decertification, and 4) all officers that are terminated for cause. This is a major change in that now POST will track all officers that …
Colorado’s “Law Enforcement Integrity And Accountability Act,” Part 4 of 5 Read More »
REVOCATION OF POST CERTIFICATE FOR EXCESSIVE FORCEAny conviction, either by jury or plea, to inappropriate use of use of force, or any crime for use or threatened use of physical force, requires: 1) the agency to terminate the officer; and 2) POST to immediately revoke the officer’s certification. There will be no way the officer …
Colorado’s “Law Enforcement Integrity And Accountability Act,” Part 3 of 5 Read More »
CREATION OF A STATE INVESTIGATION UNIT TO INVESTIGATE POLICE USE OF FORCE INCIDENTSThis bill creates a new investigation unit, under the direction of the Attorney General, that is solely responsible for the investigation of police use-of-force that results in death or serious bodily injury. This new unit will exist solely to “police the police.” Currently, …
Colorado’s “Law Enforcement Integrity and Accountability Act,” Part 2 of 5 Read More »
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