IN THE HEADLINES
► American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado: Arash Jahanian (civil rights law, 2018) is seeking records related to Kamyar Samimi, who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in November. Samimi had been convicted of cocaine possession 12 years prior, and ICE alleged that due to this felony, he was eligible for deportation. Samimi died while held in a detention facility, and the ACLU and other organizations are looking for more information.
► Eytan Nielsen: Iris Eytan (criminal defense: general practice, 2011) is representing criminals with mental illness who have been jailed and are suffering due to lack of proper treatment for their illnesses. The Colorado prison system is currently so overwhelmed that prisoners with mental illnesses are waiting up to four times as long as legally allowed for their evaluations and treatments.
► Klein Frank: Carrie Frank (product liability litigation – plaintiffs, 2012) and Beth Klein (professional malpractice law – plaintiffs, 2015) are representing Gail Goehrig in a case against Silverton Mountain. Goehrig is suing the establishment after being knocked off a chairlift platform by its chair, which caused her to fall head-first onto rocks. She sustained serious injuries from her fall.
► Rathod Mohamedbhai: Qusair Mohamedbhai (civil rights law; employment law – individuals, 2016) filed a complaint regarding John Veach, who was shot and killed by two Rawlins police officers, Sergeant Jared Frakes and Officer Joe Balestrieri, in a gas station parking lot. The complaint alleges that the officers shot Veach “execution style” as he tried to drive away from them.
►Recht Kornfeld: David Beller (criminal defense: white-collar, 2017) is defending Steven Michael Jenkins, former staff member at a Castle Rock charter school. Jenkins faces charges for sexual exploitation of a child after “up-skirt” videos were found on his phone, which included at least three videos of underage children from Renaissance Secondary School where he worked.
► Recht Kornfeld: Megan Downing (DUI/DWI defense, 2017) and attorney Douglas Cohen represented Ian Fitzgerald O’Connor, who drove under the influence of alcohol and possibly drugs and caused an accident that led to the death of motorcyclist Paul Dacko.
HONORABLE MENTION
► Coan, Payton & Payne announced the addition of technology to its practice areas that it will cover in July 2017.
►Randy C. Canney: Randy C. Canney (criminal defense: general practice, 2016) became a member of the Rockies Chamber of Commerce.
ITN FEATURE
Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher: Lara Baker (criminal defense: general practice, 2018) and attorney Gary Lozow are defending Andrew Baron, the chief executive of the Boulder-based charity Humanwire.
Humanwire is a non-profit that assists displaced Syrian refugees. Mona Ayoub came to Colorado from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon this summer to help Baron with his non-profit. He had promised her temporary housing in his home and assistance with acquiring a work visa. Instead, Ayoub says Baron turned against her and she is “practically homeless,” according to the Colorado Daily.
Donors gave the non-profit almost $1 million in the span of two years, but that money was slow to arrive to refugees in need, and staff members weren’t being paid. Shortly after arriving in Boulder, Ayoub found bank records that showed that Baron had taken approximately $130,000 for his own expenses (restaurants, children’s activities, groceries, etc.).
In the end of November, Boulder District Court Judge Marizela Cano ordered Baron to refrain from soliciting or accepting donations on behalf of Humanwire. Zolow and Baker said he is adhering to those conditions. Ayoub is a key witness with Boulder prosecutors, and Baron faces felony counts of charity fraud and theft of $130,000.
