Coloradans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Contact
Information |
Website: www.coadp.org
Phone: (303) 495-2910
Address: P.O. Box 46123
Denver, CO 80201
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Death
Penalty
Statistics |
| Executions since 1976 | 1 |
| Executions before 1976 | 101 |
| Innocent people freed from Death Row | 0 |
| Number on Death Row Now | 1 people |
| Location of Death Row (men) | Canon City |
| Location of Death Row (women) | |
| Crimes Eligible for the Death Penalty | First Degree Murder with at least one of 17 aggravating factors; treason |
| Last Three Executions | Gary Lee Davis: October 13, 1997
Luis Monge: June 2, 1967
John Bizup: August 14, 1964 |
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Colorado currently has two individuals on death row: Nathan Dunlap and Edward Montour.
Nathan Dunlap was convicted and sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of four employees at an Aurora Chuck E Cheese restaurant. His direct appeal was also unsuccessful. Attorneys Phil Cherner, Colleen Scissors, and Michael Heher did their best in a complicated post-conviction attack in Mr. Dunlap's case, but were unsuccessful in the trial court. The case is now on appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court, where Mr. Cherner and Mr. Heher continue the fight and have recently filed their opening brief. If Mr. Dunlap is unsuccessful in State Court, he can seek relief in the Federal Courts.
Edward Montour Jr. represented himself and pled guilty in 2003 for the murder of a correctional officer. He continued to represent himself in the penalty phase, presented no mitigation, and was sentenced to death by Judge King of the Douglas County District Court.
Continuing pro se, Mr. Montour then waived any post-conviction challenges and now seeks to waive any appeal other than the mandatory review by the Colorado Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has remanded the case to the District Court for determination of Mr. Montour's competency to waive his appeal, and counsel has now been appointed over Mr. Montour's objection to litigate the issue of competency.
This case highlights the problem of so called "volunteers," or defendants who refuse both legal representation and fail to present any defense or mitigation. Although individuals have the right to represent themselves, if we have a death penalty, our system must find a way to see that mitigating information is brought before the court lest we simply have suicide via the State in such cases.
A Colorado Supreme Court decision in April 2007, however, reversed the death sentence and remanded the case back to "the trial court for a jury determination of whether to impose the sentence of life imprisonment or death.
- Read the Testimony of Richard Dieter, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center, on the issue of Cost and the death penalty. Testimony delivered to the Colorado House of Representatives on February 7, 2007.
Get Involved
- Become a CADP Friend and volunteer to serve on a committee or subchapter, or to address community groups as part of our Speakers' Bureau
- Write, call or send E-mail to members of Congress, state legislators and Governor Bill Owen when they consider issues relating to the death penalty. Visit the CADP website, at www.coadp.org, to learn how to contact these officials.
- Correspond with a death row prisoner. Write to Colorado's condemned men, or contact the Death Row Support Project, P.O. Box 600, Department C, Liberty Mills, Indiana 46946.
- Make a financial contribution to CADP and other organizations working for abolition.
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