Janene McCabe, the president of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, said more common sanctions against prosecutors would not be effective when a district attorney’s office habitually drags its feet on disclosing evidence to the defense. In a recent case of pattern of violations, the Supreme Court upheld a lower courts sanctions on the DA’s office which included reducing charges on a murder case.
“I think primarily it is a message to Linda Stanley’s office, but I think it’s also a warning to other prosecutors’ offices to do a better job and be very clear when they have patterns, that it is the elected district attorney’s responsibility to solve those patterns,” she said. “I have not seen a judge reduce a murder charge in the past, but I also have not seen this extreme of a pattern.” Colorado Politics