COLORADO’S ‘MAKE MY DAY’ LAW DOESN’T APPLY TO JAIL CELLS
Denver—Colorado’s so-called “Make My Day” law allows a citizen to use deadly force when someone breaks into their home. The law does not apply to prison inmates. That clarification is being made in a bill that was approved today by House lawmakers. The law has been used twice to get Colorado inmates off the hook for killing fellow inmates who entered their cells. House Bill 1190 says the prison cell may be your home, but you can’t kill someone for entering. The bill faces one more vote in the House before heading to the Senate.
FORMER TEXAS CONVICT CHARGED WITH HOLDING HOMELESS WOMAN CAPTIVE IN MESA CO.
Grand Junction—A former Texas death row convict who was set free almost 30 years ago, is back behind bars in the Mesa County jail for holding a homeless woman hostage and raping her repeatedly over several months. According to reports from the Sheriff’s office, Claude Wilkerson kept the woman chained up at his home in Gateway and used the help of a runaway teenage girl. Mesa County authorities were tipped off by the girl and the woman who was held captive reportedly begged deputies to arrest her on a minor warrant when they showed up to the house.
PARK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SHAKEUP FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF DEPUTY
Fairplay—Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener disciplined two employees following last week’s shootout that killed Deputy Nate Carrigan and injured two others by a man they were trying to evict in Bailey. Wegener says Undersheriff Monte Gore and Sgt. Welles Tonjes were punished for incidents that happened in the aftermath of the Feb. 24 shooting. He says they were not involved in the planning or execution of the long-delayed eviction of 58-year-old Martin Wirth.Wegener says Gore is on leave due to concerns over the way he notified Carrigan’s father about the death. Tonjes resigned before being demoted.
