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Girls Golf: Class 5A second round state tournament pairings/tee times, May 22

coakes — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:40:32 +0000

AURORA | Pairings and tee times for the second and final round of the Class 5A state golf tournament on May 22 at the Aurora Hills Golf Course. Aurora players are uppercased and bold:

CLASS 5A GIRLS GOLF TOURNAMENT SECOND ROUND PAIRINGS

May 22, Aurora Hills Golf Course

TEE 1

8:30 a.m.: Kendall Lovato (Mountain Range), Danielle Mercure (Skyline), Michelle Romano (Rock Canyon)

8:39 a.m.: Jenni Chun (Highlands Ranch), Brenna Hopkins (Rock Canyon), Alexandria Truong (Heritage)

8:48 a.m.: Gabby Hehir (Ralston Valley), Jennifer Kempton (Heritage), Jordan Sunset (Fairview)

8:57 a.m.: Elise Hayashi (Poudre), Sonny Scheer (Douglas County), Gillian Vance (Dakota Ridge)

9:06 a.m.: Samantha Barker (Highlands Ranch), Kelsey Peterson (Loveland), Jessica Sinner (Fruita Monument)

9:15 a.m.: Raquell Castillo (Loveland), Katy Dyachkova (Arapahoe), Heather Kroll (Horizon)

9:24 a.m.: JAMIE GRIFFIN (EAGLECREST), Mary Kate Nelson (Pine Creek), Rachel Sweeney (Mountain Vista)

9:33 a.m.: Adara Pauluhn (Skyline), Ana Summers (Poudre), Jenny Wolicki (Ponderosa)

9:42 a.m.: Megan McCambridge (Fairview), Alex O’Laughlin (Ralston Valley), Jaylee Tait (Columbine)

9:51 a.m.: Kelly Moran (Fairview), Calli Ringsby (Cherry Creek), Holly Schaefer (Arapahoe)

10 a.m.: Allie Johnston (Rock Canyon), Sara Swaney (Castle View), Dani Urman (Cherry Creek)

10:09 a.m.: SEUNG HA CHOI (OVERLAND), Mackenzie Cohen (Cherry Creek), Patricia Lee (Highlands Ranch)

10:18 a.m.: Taylor Buck (ThunderRidge), Claudia Davis (Arapahoe), Shinwoo Lee (Cherry Creek)

10:27 a.m.: Sarah Hankins (Legacy), Shannon Lubar (Chatfield), Hannah Wood (Arapahoe)

TEE 10

8:30 a.m.: SOLEIL WORTHY (OVERLAND), Dani Listiadji (Highlands Ranch), Erica Truong (Heritage)

8:39 a.m.: Morgan Hoos (Legacy), Brittany Hoppe (Central (G.J.)), Savni Kulkami (Rock Canyon)

8:48 a.m.: Ashley Kirschner (Ralston Valley), Reagan Ritchey (Brighton), Morgan Stacks (Legacy)

8:57 a.m.: Emily Bermel (Fort Collins), Anna Kennedy (Legend), Rachel Rodriguez (Ralston Valley)

9:06 a.m.: Chelsea Cabanting (Pine Creek), Cara Nelson (Legend), Nicole Thompson (Fort Collins)

9:15 a.m.: Alexis Applegate (ThunderRidge), Katie Gordon (Standley Lake), Maggie Hartman (Denver East)

9:24 a.m.: Annie DeFancia (Fort Collins), Christine Martini (Ponderosa), Claire Sturdivant (Denver East)

9:33 a.m.: Jenny Brownrigg (Columbine), Michelle Nakayama (Doherty), Sarah Robbins (Central (G.J.))

9:42 a.m.: Brittany Clark (Doherty), Casey Conlan (Lakewood), Mallory Graff (Standley Lake)

9:51 a.m.: Hannah Englbrecht (Fruita Monument), Amber Garcia (Bear Creek), Lauren Trujillo (Standley Lake)

10 a.m.: Evan Flynn (Lakewood), Kenzie Peery (Legend), Tarah Peltz (Chatfield)

10:09 a.m.: JULIA KIM (RANGEVIEW), Sarah Fribbs (Douglas County), Lauren Wood (Dakota Ridge)

10:18 a.m.: DANAE BUSHMAN (RANGEVIEW), Carleigh Sturm (Thornton), Maia Vadeen (Northglenn)

10:27 a.m.: MALORIE WILLIAMSON (GATEWAY), Kayla Warren (Northglenn), Corinne Wilson (Columbine)

Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555

Aurora prep sports schedule, May 22

coakes — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:08:47 +0000

GIRLS GOLF

Class 4A state tournament at Boomerang Links (Greeley), 8:30 a.m.

Class 5A state tournament at Aurora Hills Golf Course, 9 a.m.

Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555

Aurora voters could be asked to pay for I-225 light rail

SCastellanos — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:45:50 +0000

Mayor Steve Hogan on Monday evening instructed council members to think about a November ballot item that would ask Aurora voters to help fund the rest of the I-225 FasTracks light rail project.

So far, the only light rail station that exists in Aurora is the Nine Mile Station, and construction is underway on a project that will replace the Yale Street bridge and eventually accommodate a FasTracks light rail station at East Iliff Avenue and Blackhawk Street, where 600 surface parking spaces are currently planned.

Regional Transportation District board members have said they won’t go forward with a ballot item this year that would ask voters to raise taxes to finish the entire FasTracks project in the Denver metro area, and they’re still undecided as to whether they would ask voters in 2013.

RTD Board Member Tom Tobiassen has said that odd-year elections don’t bode well for transportation ballot issues because fewer voters turn out to vote than in even-year elections.

Hogan said he doubts that Gov. John Hickenlooper would agree to having a tax increase item on the ballot when he’s running for re-election in 2014.

“And RTD doesn’t believe in off-year elections,” Hogan told council members at the meeting. “That means the first year you can look at a tax increase is 2016, and assuming it passes, that means nothing happens until 2017.”

He said now is the time to act to finish Aurora’s FasTracks project — even if Aurora goes at it alone.

“If we’re serious about it, we need to start thinking about a ballot initiative of our own,” he said.

The I-225 Corridor will connect the Nine Mile Station with the planned Peoria/Smith Station and will include a total of eight stations, equaling to 10.5-miles.

Girls Golf: Class 4A second round state tournament pairings/tee times, May 22

coakes — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:40 +0000

AURORA | Pairings and tee times for the 2nd and final round of the Class 4A state golf tournament on May 22 at the Boomerang Golf Links. Aurora players are uppercased and bold:

CLASS 4A GIRLS GOLF TOURNAMENT SECOND ROUND PAIRINGS

May 22, Boomerang Links, Greeley

TEE 1

8:30 a.m.: Jordon Cherry (Montrose), Haley Patterson (Yuma), Jordon Cherry (Montrose)

8:39 a.m.: Nicole Beale (Mullen), Megan McCutcheon (Lewis-Palmer), Mattie Schwall (Manitou Springs)

8:48 a.m.: Alyx Carter (Rifle), Maggie Geolat (Palmer Ridge), Katie Pitman (Falcon)

8:57 a.m.: LAUREN RICHARDSON (REGIS JESUIT), Lauren Mickelson (Thompson Valley), Alysee Milano (Brush)

9:06 a.m.: Karli Denk (Golden), Kelsey Greiner (Mountain View), Shanon Spinuzzi (Pueblo South)

9:15 a.m.: Sarah Belmear (Valor Christian), Leslie Ivan (Rye), Samantha Salazar (Arvada)

9:24 a.m.: Courtney Ewing (Pueblo West), Emilee Strausburg (D’Evelyn), Darcy Vernon (Wray)

9:33 a.m.: Brittney Galli (Pueblo South), Katherine Kemp (Cheyenne Mountain), Gia Zupancic (Pueblo East)

9:42 a.m.: Alex Briggs (Broomfield), Tori Goodman (Falcon), Halle Peterson (Centaurus)

9:51 a.m.: SOFIA VIGIL (REGIS JESUIT), Laura Cohan (Valor Christian), Kylee Sullivan (Cheyenne Mountain)

10 a.m.: Jesse O’Dell (Estes Park), Ellie Sick (Greeley Unified), Alex Trask (Bishop Machebeuf)

10:09 a.m.: SYDNEY GILLESPIE (REGIS JESUIT), Katie Ryall (Air Academy), Taylor Walters (Rifle)

10:18 a.m.: Tori Glenn (Valor Christian), Kala Keltz (Montrose), Jennifer Kupcho (Jefferson Academy)

10:27 a.m.: KATHLEEN KERSHISNIK (REGIS JESUIT), Taylor Dorans (Broomfield), Bryce Schroeder (Pueblo South)

TEE 10

8:39 a.m.: Zara Iacono (Aspen), Brandi Peter (Berthoud), Alli Smith (Estes Park)

8:48 a.m.: Katie Maglia (Pueblo South), Allison Powell (Rifle), Alyssa Stuck (Falcon)

8:57 a.m.: Brooke Lucero (Rye), Nicole Rooney (Green Mountain), Madison Tenney (Evergreen)

9:06 a.m.: Savannah Gonzales (Pueblo County), Caroline Johansson (Glenwood Springs), Justine Johnson (Montrose)

9:15 a.m.: Jennifer Ehmsen (Gunninson), Emma Johnson (Colorado Academy), Kate Shuman (Palisade)

9:24 a.m.: Jaclyn Fields (Green Mountain), Kelly Kruse (Cheyenne Mountain), Haley Vujcich (Pueblo West)

9:33 a.m.: Sam Fox (Moffat County), Hannah Hockley (Greeley Unifiedl), Leandra Nikont (Green Mountain)

9:42 a.m.: Danielle Dorans (Broomfield), Jaelee Hillman (Delta), Samantha Weber (Cheyenne Mountain)

9:51 a.m.: Caitlin Harjes (Moffat County), Mirenda King (Florence), Melissa Steinbach (Coal Ridge)

10 a.m.: Madison Gill (Montrose), Rachel Joha (Golden), Brandi Wollman (Florence)

10:09 a.m.: Samantha Bartle (Broomfield), Audrey Meyer (Palmer Ridge), Ashley Roo (Valor Christian)

10:18 a.m.: Brittany Haugen (Canon City), Shelby Lynn (Mitchell), Hannah Mutz (Pueblo Central)

10:27 a.m.: Savannah Bernal (Pueblo East), Gianna DeGarbo (Pueblo Central), Sarah Saller (Classical Academy)

10:36 a.m.: Tori King (Sand Creek), Lauren McCrary (Discovery Canyon), Marisa Regalado (Pueblo West)

Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555

Girls Golf: Class 4A first round state tournament results, May 21

coakes — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:21:53 +0000

GREELEY | First round results from the Class 4A girls state golf tournament on May 21 at Boomerang Links in Greeley. Aurora players are bold and uppercased:

A week after helping Regis Jesuit to the Class 4A Metro West Regional championship, senior Kathleen Kershisnik is leading the 4A girls state golf tournament after one round on May 21, 2012, at the Boomerang Links in Greeley. Kershisnik shot a 3-under-par 70 for the Raiders, who lead the team chase by 14 strokes. (Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel)

First round, May 21, Boomerang Links (Greeley)

Team scores: REGIS JESUIT 225, Valor Christian 239, Pueblo South 241, Broomfield 252, Cheyenne Mountain 257, Montrose 257, Rifle 258, Falcon 262, Green Mountain 286, Pueblo West 289

Regis Jesuit Individuals (par 73): Kathleen Kershisnik 70; Sydney Gillespie 75; Sofia Vigil 80; Lauren Richardson 87

INDIVIDUAL SCORES (PAR 73)

1. KATHLEEN KERSHISNIK (REGIS JESUIT) 70

T2. Bryce Schroeder (Pueblo South), Taylor Dorans (Broomfield) — 72

4. Jennifer Kupcho (Jefferson Academy) — 73

5. Kala Keitz (Montrose) — 74

T6. SYDNEY GILLESPIE (REGIS JESUIT), Tori Glenn (Valor Christian) — 75

8. Katie Ryall (Air Academy) — 76

T9. Alex Trask (Bishop Machebeuf), Taylor Walters (Rifle) — 77

11. Jesse O’Dell (Estes Park) — 78

T12. Laura Cohan (Valor Christian), Ellie Sick (Greeley Unified) — 79

T14. SOFIA VIGIL (REGIS JESUIT), Kylee Sullivan (Cheyenne Mountain) — 80

T16. Tori Goodman (Falcon), Halle Peterson (Centaurus) — 81

T18. Alex Briggs (Broomfield), Brittney Galli (Pueblo South), Katherine Kemp (Cheyenne Mountain) — 82

21. Gia Zupancic (Pueblo East) — 83

T22. Courtney Ewing (Pueblo West), Emilee Strausburg (D’Evelyn), Darcy Vernon (D’Evelyn) — 84

T25. Sarah Belmear (Valor Christian), Leslie Ivan (Rye), Samantha Salazar (Arvada) — 85

28. Karli Denk (Golden) — 86

T29. LAUREN RICHARDSON (REGIS JESUIT), Kelsey Greiner (Mountain View), Lauren Mickelson (Thompson Valley), Shannon Spinuzzi (Pueblo South) — 87

T33. Alyx Carter (Rifle), Maggie Geolat (Palmer Ridge), Alysse Milano (Brush), Katie Pitman (Falcon), Mattie Schwall (Manitou Springs) — 88

T38. Nicole Beale (Mullen), Megan McCutcheon (Lewis-Palmer) — 89

T40. Jordon Cherry (Montrose), Torrie Sauer (Canon City) — 90

T42. Haley Patterson (Yuma), Brandi Peter (Berthoud) — 91

T44. Zara Iacono (Aspen), Alli Smith (Estes Park) — 92

T46. Savannah Gonzales (Pueblo County), Emma Johnson (Colorado Academy), Caroline Johansson (Glenwood Springs), Justine Johnson (Montrose), Brooke Lucero (Rye), Katie Maglia (Pueblo South), Allison Powell (Rifle), Nicole Rooney (Green Mountain), Alyssa Stuck (Falcon), Madison Tenney (Evergreen) — 93

T56. Jennifer Ehmson (Gunnison), Kate Shuman (Palisade) — 94

T58. Kelley Kruse (Cheyenne Mountain), Haley Vujcich (Pueblo West) — 95

T60. Jaclyn Fields (Green Mountain), Hannah Hockley (Greeley Unified) — 96

T62. Sam Fox (Moffat County), Leandra Nikont (Green Mountain) — 97

64. Danielle Dorans (Broomfield) — 98

T65. Jaelee Hillman (Delta), Samantha Weber (Cheyenne Mountain — 99

T67. Mirenda King (Florence), Melissa Steinbach (Coal Ridge) — 101

T69. Madison Gill (Montrose), Caitlin Harjes (Moffat County), Rachel Joha (Golden), Ashley Roo (Valor Christian), Brandi Wollman (Florence) — 102

74. Audrey Meyer (Palmer Ridge) — 103

T75. Samantha Bartle (Broomfield), Brittany Haugen (Canon City), Shelby Lynn (Mitchell), Hannah Mutz (Pueblo County) — 105

79. Sarah Saller (Classical Academy) — 106

T80. Savannah Bernal (Pueblo East), Gianna DeGarbo (Pueblo County) — 108

82. Marisa Regelado (Pueblo West) — 110

83. Tori King (Sand Creek) — 113

84. Lauren McCrary (Discovery Canyon) — 114

Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555

Girls Golf: Class 5A first round state tournament results, May 21

coakes — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:25:56 +0000

AURORA | Results from the first round of the Class 5A girls state golf tournament on May 21 at Aurora Hills Golf Course. Aurora players bold and uppercased:

Rangeview sophomore Julia Kim lines up her tee shot on hole No. 1 during the first round of the Class 5A girls state golf tournament on May 21, 2012, at Aurora Hills Golf Course. Kim finished with a 103 in the first round of her first state appearance. (Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel)

Team scores: Arapahoe 220, Cherry Creek 222, Fairview 240, Highlands Ranch 243, Rock Canyon 248, Legacy 250, Ralston Valley 251, Heritage 257, Fort Collins 274, Legend 280, Columbine 283, Standley Lake 286

Aurora individuals: T7. Seung Ha Choi (Overland) 38-36 74; T22. Jamie Griffin (Eaglecrest) 40-40 80; T43. Soleil Worthy (Overland) 44-44 88; ; 76. Julia Kim (Rangeview) 53-50 103; 80. Danae Bushman (Rangeview) 55-54 109; 84. Malorie Williamson (Gateway) 54-61 115

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (PAR 72)

T1. Hannah Wood (Arapahoe), Shannon Lubar (Chatfield) — 71

3. Sarah Hankins (Legacy) — 72

T4. Shinwoo Lee (Cherry Creek), Claudia Davis (Arapahoe), Taylor Buck (ThunderRidge) — 73

T7. SEUNG HA CHOI (OVERLAND), Mackenzie Cohen (Cherry Creek) — 74

T9. Allie Johnston (Rock Canyon), Patricia Lee (Highlands Ranch), Dani Urman (Cherry Creek) — 75

T12. Calli Ringsby (Cherry Creek), Holly Schaefer (Arapahoe), Sara Swaney (Castle View) — 76

T15. Kelly Moran (Fairview), Alex O’Laughlin (Ralston Valley), Jaylee Tait (Columine) — 77

T18. Megan McCambridge (Fairview), Adara Pauluhn (Skyline), Jenny Wolicki (Ponderosa) — 78

21. Ana Summers (Poudre) — 79

T22. JAMIE GRIFFIN (EAGLECREST), Mary Kate Nelson (Pine Creek), Rachel Sweeney (Mountain Vista) — 80

T25. Raquell Castillo (Loveland), Heather Kroll (Horizon) — 81

T27. Samantha Barker (Highlands Ranch), Katy Dyachkova (Arapahoe), Kelsey Peterson (Loveland), Jessica Sinner (Fruita Monument) — 82

31. Gillian Vance (Dakota Ridge) — 83

T32. Elisa Hayashi (Poudre), Jennifer Kempton (Heritage), Sonny Scheer (Douglas County) — 84

T35. Gabby Hehir (Ralston Valley), Jordan Sunset (Fairview), Alexandria Truong (Heritage) — 85

T38. Jenni Chun (Highlands Ranch), Brenna Hopkins (Rock Canyon), Danielle Mercure (Skyline) — 86

T41. Kendall Lovato (Mountain Range), Michelle Romano (Rock Canyon) — 87

T43. SOLEIL WORTHY (OVERLAND), Dani Listiadji (Highlands Ranch), Savni Kulkarni (Rock Canyon), Eric Truong (Heritage) — 88

T47. Reagan Ritchey (Brighton), Brittany Hoppe (Central (G.J.)), Morgan Hoos (Legacy), Ashlyn Kirschner (Ralston Valley) — Morgan Stacks (Legacy) — 89

T52. Rachel Rodriguez (Ralston Valley), Anna Kennedy (Legend), Cara Nelson (Legend), Nicole Thompson (Fort Collins), Emily Bermel (Fort Collins) — 90

T57. Chelsea Cabanting (Pine Creek), Katie Gordon (Standley Lake), Maggie Hartman (Denver East) — 91

T60. Alexis Applegate (ThunderRidge), Christine Martini (Ponderosa) — 92

62. Claire Stirdivant (Denver East) — 93

T63. Jenny Brownrigg (Columbine), Annie DeFancia (Fort Collins) — 94

T65. Brittany Clark (Doherty), Casey Conlan (Lakewood), Michelle Nakayama (Doherty), Sarah Robbins (Central (G.J.)) — 95

T69. Hannah Englbrecht (Fruita Monument), Amber Garcia (Bear Creek), Mallory Graff (Standley Lake) — 97

72. Lauren Trujillo (Standley Lake) — 98

73. Tarah Peltz (Chatfield) — 99

74. Kenzie Peery (Legend) — 100

75. Evan Flynn (Lakewood) — 102

76. JULIA KIM (RANGEVIEW) — 103

77. Lauren Wood (Dakota Ridge) — 104

T78. Sarah Fribbs (Douglas County), Maia Vadeen (Northglenn) — 105

80. DANAE BUSHMAN (RANGEVIEW) — 109

T81. Carleigh Sturm (Thornton), Kayla Warren (Northglenn) — 111

83. Corinne Wilson (Columbine) — 112

84. MALORIE WILLIAMSON (GATEWAY) — 115

Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555

Illness delays Gillespie trial

BJohansson — Mon, 21 May 2012 19:50:38 +0000

Looks like the Anthony Gillespie trial will start a bit later than planned.

I just heard from the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office and jury selection has been pushed back to tomorrow because one of the lawyers handling the case was ill today.

The delay likely means opening statements in the trial won’t be delivered until Wednesday at the earliest.

Gillespie faces murder and other charges in connection with the April 9, 2010, robbery at Sixth Avenue Liquors that left Benigno Morales-Ramirez, 24, dead.

Also today, I found out a few more details about Elon Robinson, who police say robbed the store with Gillespie and who was shot during the hold-up.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office in Denver, Robinson was also involved in some bank robberies around the time of the liquor store robbery. In addition to the 32 years he is spending in state prison in the liquor store case, he is doing five years on federal bank robbery charges. One of the robberies happened in Januray 2010 at a Chase Bank in Aurora.

Guilty plea in ’09 slaying

BJohansson — Mon, 21 May 2012 19:12:20 +0000

Darrius Turner

A man charged with murder in connection with a slaying at an East Colfax Motel in late 2009 has pleaded guilty, according to court records.

Darrius Dayvon Turner, 22, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder at a hearing this month, records show, and is due in court Thursday for a sentencing hearing.

Turner had faced multiple charges, including first-degree murder and kidnapping stemming from the Dec. 29, 2009, slaying of Kendrick Williams, 25, at the Riviera Motel.

One of Turner’s co-defendants, Riley Godfrey, 29, is scheduled to go on trial in July after several delays. A third co-defendant, Marquesa Johnson, 23, pleaded guilty in January 2011 to being an accessory to a crime, a Class 4 felony, in exchange for prosecutors dropping 12 other charges against her. As part of the plea, Johnson is required to testify truthfully against Godfrey and Turner.

According to an arrest affidavit filed against Turner, a woman who was staying at the motel with Williams that night told police Godfrey shot Williams after Godfrey, Turner and Johnson broke into the room.

Williams hid in a bathroom but Godfrey and Turner broke the door down and Godfrey took the gun from Turner and shot Williams, the woman told police.

It wasn’t clear from the affidavit exactly what started the dispute that night.

Godfrey told police the three were on Colfax in search of marijuana when they met up with Williams, whom one of them knew, and the group tried to buy drugs together but failed. Williams and Turner then got into an argument that escalated at the motel.

A witness told police Godfrey and Turner were in the area that night selling crack cocaine when they met with Williams.

Godfrey and Turner have been in the Arapahoe County Jail since their arrests a short time after the shooting.

Cherokee Trail’s Rhee scratched from state golf tourney

coakes — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:20:15 +0000

AURORA | The Class 5A girls state golf tournament went on without Alissa Rhee Monday.

The Cherokee Trail senior — an alternate who was a late addition to the 84-golfer field last week — was scratched from her 9:09 a.m. tee time at Aurora Hills Golf Course due to a previous obligation delivering a speech at her school’s International Baccalaureate Stoll Ceremony in the early afternoon. Rhee, who is going to attend Brown University in the fall, is in the top seven in her graduating class.

Aurora Central athletic director Nate Smith, who is running the tournament, said Rhee was scratched by her coach via email on Friday, but the change wasn’t communicated to CHSAA officials, who were trying to find out what happened when her scheduled tee time arrived. Heritage’s Erica Vuong, the second alternate out of the Metro East Regional behind Rhee, was on hand at the tournament and was allowed to join the scheduled group of Chatfield’s Shannon Lubar and Castle View’s Sara Swaney.

Rhee’s name was still on the leaderboard at Aurora Hills.

After overcoming some challenges with her health in 2009, Rhee played in the 2010 5A state tournament at CommonGround Golf Course, finishing 77th.

Six Aurora players remain in the field: Overland senior Seung Ha Choi (the defending state champion, who teed off Monday in bright green pants) and Soleil Worthy, Rangeview sophomores Danae Bushman and Julia Kim — the first qualifiers in school history — Eaglecrest junior Jamie Griffin, making her third state tournament, and Gateway freshman Malorie Williamson.

Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555

Study: 2,000 convicted then exonerated in 23 years

Dave Perry — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:11:26 +0000

WASHINGTON | More than 2,000 people who were falsely convicted of serious crimes have been exonerated in the United States in the past 23 years, according to a new archive compiled at two universities.

Kirk Bloodsworth talks with reporters at a news conference in Annapolis, Md. Bloodsworth spent two years on death row and was later released because of DNA evidence. (AP Photo/Don Wright, File)

There is no official record-keeping system for exonerations of convicted criminals in the country, so academics set one up. The new national registry, or database, painstakingly assembled by the University of Michigan Law School and the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law, is the most complete list of exonerations ever compiled.

The database compiled and analyzed by the researchers contains information on 873 exonerations for which they have the most detailed evidence. The researchers are aware of nearly 1,200 other exonerations, for which they have less data.

They found that those 873 exonerated defendants spent a combined total of more than 10,000 years in prison, an average of more than 11 years each. Nine out of 10 of them are men and half are African-American.

Nearly half of the 873 exonerations were homicide cases, including 101 death sentences. Over one-third of the cases were sexual assaults.

DNA evidence led to exoneration in nearly one-third of the 416 homicides and in nearly two-thirds of the 305 sexual assaults.

Researchers estimate the total number of felony convictions in the United States is nearly a million a year.

The overall registry/list begins at the start of 1989. It gives an unprecedented view of the scope of the problem of wrongful convictions in the United States and the figure of more than 2,000 exonerations “is a good start,” said Rob Warden, executive director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions.

“We know there are many more that we haven’t found,” added University of Michigan law professor Samuel Gross, the editor of the newly opened National Registry of Exonerations.

Counties such as San Bernardino in California and Bexar County in Texas are heavily populated, yet seemingly have no exonerations, a circumstance that the academics say cannot possibly be correct.

The registry excludes at least 1,170 additional defendants. Their convictions were thrown out starting in 1995 amid the periodic exposures of 13 major police scandals around the country. In all the cases, police officers fabricated crimes, usually by planting drugs or guns on innocent defendants.

Regarding the 1,170 additional defendants who were left out of the registry, “we have only sketchy information about most of these cases,” the report said. “Some of these group exonerations are well known; most are comparatively obscure. We began to notice them by accident, as a byproduct of searches for individual cases.”

In half of the 873 exonerations studied in detail, the most common factor leading to false convictions was perjured testimony or false accusations. Forty-three percent of the cases involved mistaken eyewitness identification, and 24 percent of the cases involved false or misleading forensic evidence.

In two out of three homicides, perjury or false accusation was the most common factor leading to false conviction. In four out of five sexual assaults, mistaken eyewitness identification was the leading cause of false conviction.

Seven percent of the exonerations were drug, white-collar and other nonviolent crimes, 5 percent were robberies and 5 percent were other types of violent crimes.

“It used to be that almost all the exonerations we knew about were murder and rape cases. We’re finally beginning to see beyond that. This is a sea change,” said Gross.

Exonerations often take place with no public fanfare and the 106-page report that coincides with the opening of the registry explains why.

On TV, an exoneration looks like a singular victory for a criminal defense attorney, “but there’s usually someone to blame for the underlying tragedy, often more than one person, and the common culprits include defense lawyers as well as police officers, prosecutors and judges. In many cases, everybody involved has egg on their face,” according to the report.

Despite a claim of wrongful conviction that was widely publicized last week, a Texas convict executed two decades ago is not in the database because he has not been officially exonerated. Carlos deLuna was executed for the fatal stabbing of a Corpus Christi convenience store clerk. A team headed by a Columbia University law professor just published a 400-page report that contends DeLuna didn’t kill the clerk, Wanda Jean Lopez.

___

Online:

Center on Wrongful Convictions: http://tinyurl.com/dd9s2o

Professor Samuel Gross: http://tinyurl.com/7rrauxh