Colorado Supreme Court Case Announcements, 9/14/09

ANNOUNCEMENTS
COLORADO SUPREME COURT

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009
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"Slip opinions" are the opinions delivered by the Supreme Court

Justices and are subject to modification, rehearing, withdrawal, or
clerical corrections. Modifications to previously posted opinions
will be linked to the case number in the petition for rehearing
section the day the changes are announced.
Click on the case number to view the opinion in pdf format.
OPINIONS
SUPREME COURT, STATE OF COLORADO Case No. 09SA22

Two East 14th Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80203
Original Proceeding Pursuant to C.A.R. 21

El Paso County District Court Case No. 08JV184
Honorable Thomas L. Kennedy, Judge
In Re:
The People of the State of Colorado,
In the Interest of Minor Child:
A.H.,
Petitioner:
El Paso County Department of Human Services,
and Concerning
Respondents:
A.P., G.H., R.H., and G.H.
RULE DISCHARGED
EN BANC
CHIEF JUSTICE MULLARKEY delivered the Opinion of the Court.

JUSTICE MARTINEZ dissents, and JUSTICE BENDER and JUSTICE COATS join in
the dissent.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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SUPREME COURT, STATE OF COLORADO Case No. 08SC418

Two East 14th Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80203
Certiorari to the Colorado Court of Appeals

Court of Appeals Case No. 06CA0026
Petitioner:
v.
Respondent:
Robert Gene Valenzuela, Jr.
JUDGMENT AFFIRMED
EN BANC
JUSTICE MARTINEZ delivered the Opinion of the Court.

JUSTICE COATS dissents, and JUSTICE EID joins in the dissent.
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PETITIONS FOR REHEARING
NONE
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PETITIONS FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI
No. 08SC615
Petitioner:
Oliver H. Giller,
v.
Respondent:
The People of the State of Colorado.
Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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No. 08SC791
Petitioners:
Kenneth Tyler Scott and Clifton Powell,
v.
Respondent/Cross-Petitioner:
St. John’s Church in the Wilderness, a Colorado nonprofit corporation;
Respondents:
Charles I. Thompson and Charles W. Berberich.
Petition and Cross-Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.
JUSTICE EID would grant as to the following issue:
Whether the trial court made sufficient factual findings to support

the time restriction imposed by the injunction.
JUSTICE RICE does not participate.

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No. 08SC961
Petitioner:
Charity Lehnert,
v.
Respondent:
Petition for Writ of Certiorari GRANTED. EN BANC.
Summary of Issue:
Whether the thirty-year enhanced and aggravated range sentence imposed

pursuant to section 18-1.3-406, C.R.S. (2008) for Petitioner’s
attempted murder conviction is illegal.
DENIED AS TO ALL OTHER ISSUES.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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No. 08SC1003
Petitioner:
v.
Respondent:
David Wayne White.
Summary of Issue:
Whether the court of appeals erred in reversing the district court’s

decision that the challenged juror was a resident of the county where
the trial took place.

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No. 08SC1065
Petitioner:
Dante Lamar Owens,
v.
Respondent:

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Case No. 09SC55
Petitioner/Cross-Respondent:
Jana L. Brown,
v.
Respondent/Cross-Petitioner:
Jay Stuart Radetsky, P.C.
Petition and Cross-Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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No. 09SC72
Petitioners:
Sun Sports and Entertainment, Inc., f/k/a Galactic Gaming, Inc., a
Nevada corporation; GF Gaming Corporation, d/b/a Famous Bonanza Casino
and Easy Street Casino, a Colorado corporation; Blue Spruce Investment
Corporation, a Colorado corporation; Annie Oakley’s Emporium, Inc., a
Colorado corporation; Baby Doe Development, Inc., a Colorado
corporation; and Sheftel Charitable Remainder Unitrust, an entity
domiciled in Colorado;
v.
Respondents:
Kevin S. Taylor and Snell & Wilmer, L.L.P., an Arizona limited
liability partnership.

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No. 09SC90
Petitioner:
Christopher P. Forsyth,
v.
Respondent:
Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis P.C.

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No. 09SC96
Petitioners:
Rivera, Inc., a Colorado corporation; and Henry Rivera and Andrew
Rivera, suing derivatively on behalf of Rivera, Inc.,
v.
Respondents:
Board of Directors of Rivera, Inc.; Carlos Rivera; Art Rivera; Louis
Narvaiz; and Sylvia Rivera-Narvaiz.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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No. 09SC114
Petitioner:
Paul David Olivas,
v.
Respondent:
JUSTICE BENDER and JUSTICE RICE would grant as to the following

issues:
Whether a trial court erred in overruling a Batson objection based on

reasons a hypothetical prosecutor might have for exercising the juror,
after finding the actual prosecutor’s demeanor-based reasons
unsupported by and in part contradicted by the record.
Whether double jeopardy and statutory and judicial merger rules

prohibit conviction for both robbery and second-degree kidnapping
enhanced to a class-two felony by the same robbery.
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No. 09SC182
Petitioner:
Richard Walker,
v.
Respondent:
People of the State of Colorado.

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No. 09SC188
Petitioner:
A.B.-B.,
v.
Respondent:

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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No. 09SC195
Petitioner:
Nicole Nunn,
v.
Respondents:
Mid-Century Insurance Company, a California corporation; Michelle
Solicy; Doug Compton; Frank Crow and Bud Cole.
Summary of Issue:
Whether the court of appeals erred by holding that a Bashor agreement

containing a covenant not to execute on the insured’s personal assets,
given in exchange for the insured’s assignment of claims against its
liability insurer, precludes the insured’s assignee from recovering
damages against the insurer on the assigned claims, irrespective of
the insurer’s bad faith conduct.

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No. 09SC196
Petitioner:
Summit Park Condominium Association, a Colorado nonprofit corporation,
v.
Respondent:
Summit Park II Condominium Owners Association, Inc., a Colorado
nonprofit corporation.

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No. 09SC208
Petitioner:
Joseph Santos,
v.
Respondent:
Nene, a/k/a/ Nene Hilario, a/k/a Maybyner Hilario.

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No. 09SC214
Petitioner:
Merle E. Eaton,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC217
Petitioner:
Neil S. Aweida,
v.
Respondent:
JUSTICE BENDER would grant as to the following issue:
Whether, under CRE 608(b) and the federal state constitutional

confrontation clauses, is lying on the internet a specific instance of
conduct that is probative of the complainant’s character for
untruthfulness, and therefore a proper line of questioning when
defense counsel cross-examines the complainant.
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No. 09SC228
Petitioner:
Kenneth G. Snook,
v.
Respondent:
Joyce Homes, Inc., a Colorado corporation.

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No. 09SC272
Petitioner:
Derrick Tarrant,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC276
Petitioners:
Larimer County Board of Commissioners and Larimer County Board of
Equalization,
v.
Respondents:
Worldmark, The Club; and Board of Assessment Appeals of the State of
Colorado.

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No. 09SC289
Petitioner:
Brian John Ahern,
v.
Respondents:
County Court in and for San Miguel County, and the Judge thereof.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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No. 09SC302
In re the Parental Responsibilities of

M.J.J., child,
Petitioner:
Kellie J. Jewett,
v.
Respondent:
Brandon P. Keeley.

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No. 09SC317
Petitioner:
Kenneth B. Malpass,
v.
Respondent:
Judith C. Powelson.

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No. 09SC326
Petitioner:
Homaidan Al-Turki,
v.
Respondent:
JUSTICE MARTINEZ would grant as to the following issues:
Whether the court of appeals erred in this highly publicized

prosecution of a Muslim defendant by requiring that a juror
“unequivocally” express actual bias against the defendant as a
precondition for permitting additional questioning of the juror or
excusal for cause, where a juror clearly expressed a potential bias
against the defendant based on the defendant’s religion and the trial
court refused to permit further questioning regarding the bias.
Whether, in deciding whether no reasonable possibility exists that a

plainly erroneous special interrogatory contributed to the defendant’s
conviction for multiple enhanced, lifetime prison sentences, the court
of appeals applied a type of plain error review not in accord with the
court’s decisions by (i) limiting its review to the complaining
witness’s testimony and (ii) excluding from consideration substantial
record evidence on which the jury impermissibly could have relied to
make its enhancement finding.
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No. 09SC340
Petitioner:
Corey Hills,
v.
Respondents:
Westminster Municipal Court and Honorable Paul D. Basso, Judge.
Summary of Issues:
Whether the court of appeals erred by holding that the process of

declining a single proposed trial date constituted a waiver of speedy
trial, reversing Tasset v. Yeager, 195 Colo. 190, 191, 576 P.2d 558,
559 (1978) and its progeny.
Whether the Colorado Court of Appeals impermissibly shifted the burden

of compliance by holding that the trial court and the prosecutor need
not determine the availability of alternative dates within speedy
trial prior to setting the trial outside of speedy trial over the
objection of the defendant.
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No. 09SC353
Petitioner
v.
Respondent
Matthew L. Harter.

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No. 09SC369
Arapahoe County District Court Case No. 08CV2846
Petitioner:
v.
Respondent:
Jean Cox.

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No. 09SC384
Petitioner:
David Uribe-Sanchez,
v.
Respondent:
Summary of Issue:
Whether the trial court erred in ruling that Petitioner “promoted the
relationship primarily for the purpose of sexual victimization,” as
required to classify him a sexually violent predator pursuant to
section 18-3-414.5(1)(a), by using violence in committing the sexual
assault, and whether the court of appeals erred in avoiding this legal
issue and affirming based upon its own unsupported and inadequate
factual findings.

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No. 09SC401
Jefferson County District Court Case No. 08CV1802
Petitioner:
Jesse Bullock,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC414
Petitioners:
Dolores Huerta Preparatory High, Laura Maestes, Denise Gallegos, and
Maritza Martinez,
v.
Respondents:
The Colorado State Board of Education; and Pueblo School District No.
60, a Colorado Municipal Corporation.
JUSTICE MARTINEZ would grant as to the following issues:
Whether section 22-30.5-105(2)(c)(II), C.R.S. 2008, a statute

directing that a district “will support” charter school building needs
- defied by a district providing not “any single dime” for that
purpose – was properly nullified by the court of appeals through the
judicially-created “political subdivision” doctrine.
Whether this court’s decision in Adams County Sch. Dist. v. Academy of

Charter Schs., 32 P.3d 456 (Colo. 2001) and its construction of
section 107.5 of the Charter Schools Act, section 22-30.5-107.5,
C.R.S. 2008 should be clarified or modified.
Whether markedly inequitable funding of a school founded to enable

public school choice impairs the parent-plaintiffs exercise of choice,
violating Article IX, section 2, as construed in People ex rel Vollmar
v. Stanley, 255 P. 610 (Colo.1927).
Whether giving a local charter school $0 in local facility funding,

when every comparable school in a district is provided substantial
funding, so the charter first lacks basic facilities and then
encumbers more than 20% of state equalized operating funding for
facilities violates either section 105 or Article IX, section 2 of the
Colorado Constitution.
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No. 09SC439
Petitioner:
John Conte,
v.
Respondents:
Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife and Colorado
State Personnel Board.

JUSTICE EID does not participate.
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No. 09SC442
Petitioners:
May B. McCormick and Chris Forsyth Law Office, LLC,
v.
Respondents:
Exempla Healthcare; Michelle Horning; Thomas, Pollart, Miller &
Wetmore LLC; Brad Miller; and Sedgwick CMS.

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No. 09SC443
Petitioners:
May B. McCormick and Chris Forsyth Law Office, LLC,
v.
Respondents:
Exempla Healthcare; Michelle Horning; Thomas, Pollart, Miller &
Wetmore LLC; Brad Miller; and Sedgwick CMS.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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No. 09SC444
Petitioner:
Gary McKinney,
v.
Respondent:
Colorado Board of Medical Examiners.

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No. 09SC445
Weld County District Court No. 08CV637
Petitioner:
Eddy Oil Company, a Colorado corporation,
v.
Respondent:
Town of Milliken, a statutory municipality.

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No. 09SC453
Petitioner:
In the Interest of Minor Children:

M.M., Jr. and A.M.,
v.
Respondent:
M.M.
CHIEF JUSTICE MULLARKEY would grant as to the following issues:
Whether the court of appeals improperly substituted its own assessment

of the evidence presented at the hearing to terminate father’s
parental rights for that of the trial court.
Whether the court of appeals failed to apply the presumption that a

trial court disregards incompetent evidence in rendering its judgment.
Whether the court of appeals erroneously concluded that admission of

evidence concerning polygraph results prejudiced father.
Whether the court of appeals incorrectly applied Colorado Rule of

Evidence 703 in holding that expert testimony about opinions based in
part upon the results of polygraph examinations should not be
admitted.
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No. 09SC464
Petitioner:
David Garcia, a/k/a William David Garcia,
v.
Respondent:
Sadie Martinez.

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No. 09SC472
Petitioner:
Charles Gordon Graham,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC486
Petitioner:
Russell M. Boles,
v.
Respondents:
Terry Bartruff, Jason Zwirn, and Marc Bolt.

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No. 09SC489
Petitioner:
Robert Lamar Lewis,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC498
Petitioner:
Aymen A. Abdu,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC506
Petitioners:
Elmer A. Kobobel, Mariam M. Kobobel, Larry A. Kobobel, Glen D.
Kobobel, David A. Knievel, and Margery A. Knievel,
v.
Respondents:
State of Colorado, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water
Resources; Harold D. Simpson, P.E., in his capacity as the Colorado
State Engineer; and James R. Hall, P.E., in his capacity as Division
Engineer in and for Water Division No. 1.

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No. 09SC510
Court of Appeals Case Nos. 05CA1327 and 04CA2569
Petitioner:
Bruce Robb,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC514
Petitioner:
Corey Dwayne Burch,
v.
Respondent:

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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No. 09SC531
Petitioner:
Monica Tratnik-Johnson,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC532
Petitioner:
Phillip David Haskett,
v.
Respondents:
Kalima Masse; Gary W. Flanders; Keegan Myer; Geotech Corporation, a
Colorado corporation; Trend Communities, Inc. a Colorado corporation;
Palmer Lake LLC, a Colorado limited liability corporation; and
Maharishi Ayur-Ved Products International, Inc., d/b/a Maharishi
Global Development Fund, a Colorado corporation.

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No. 09SC533
Petitioner:
George Joe Romero,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC538
Petitioner:
May B. McCormick,
v.
Respondents:
Exempla Healthcare and Industrial Claim Appeals Office of the State of
Colorado.

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No. 09SC539
Petitioner:
Patrick Michael Stephenson,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC545
Petitioner:
Phillip Hotaling, d/b/a Computer Source Technologies, Inc.,
v.
Respondents:
ID-Confirm, Inc. and Robert Morrison.

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No. 09SC549
Larimer County District Court Case No. 08CV224
Petitioner:
John M. Maly,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC550
Petitioner:
Kyle Axtell,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC552
Petitioner:
Alan Swendra,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC554
Petitioner:
Alicia Elaine Jones,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC557
Petitioner:
Chris Haywood,
v.
Respondent:
Auto-Owners Insurance Company.

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No. 09SC559
Petitioner:
William Mark Redding,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC560
Petitioner:
Maurice E. Harris,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC561
Petitioner:
Timothy Trujillo,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC565
Petitioner:
Anthony Joseph Owens,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC571
Petitioner:
Alfred Ray Damian,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC572
Petitioner:
Jeffery Dunn,
v.
Respondent:

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No. 09SC622
Petitioner:
M.M.,
v.
Respondent:
M.K.M.Q.

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No. 09SC643
Petitioner:
L.M.V.,
v.
Respondent:
J.V.

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No. 09SC660
Petitioner:
L.H.
v.
Respondent:
In the Interest of Minor Children:
D.M. and A.H.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

COLORADO SUPREME COURT

"Slip opinions" are the opinions delivered by the Supreme Court

Click on the case number to view the opinion in pdf format.

SUPREME COURT, STATE OF COLORADO Case No. 09SA22

Original Proceeding Pursuant to C.A.R. 21

The People of the State of Colorado,

In the Interest of Minor Child:

El Paso County Department of Human Services,

A.P., G.H., R.H., and G.H.

CHIEF JUSTICE MULLARKEY delivered the Opinion of the Court.

SUPREME COURT, STATE OF COLORADO Case No. 08SC418

Certiorari to the Colorado Court of Appeals

The People of the State of Colorado,

Robert Gene Valenzuela, Jr.

JUSTICE MARTINEZ delivered the Opinion of the Court.

PETITIONS FOR REHEARING

PETITIONS FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition and Cross-Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

JUSTICE EID would grant as to the following issue:

Whether the trial court made sufficient factual findings to support

JUSTICE RICE does not participate.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari GRANTED. EN BANC.

Whether the thirty-year enhanced and aggravated range sentence imposed

DENIED AS TO ALL OTHER ISSUES.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari GRANTED. EN BANC.

Whether the court of appeals erred in reversing the district court’s

DENIED AS TO ALL OTHER ISSUES.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition and Cross-Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

JUSTICE BENDER and JUSTICE RICE would grant as to the following

Whether a trial court erred in overruling a Batson objection based on

Whether double jeopardy and statutory and judicial merger rules

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari GRANTED. EN BANC.

Whether the court of appeals erred by holding that a Bashor agreement

DENIED AS TO ALL OTHER ISSUES.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

JUSTICE BENDER would grant as to the following issue:

Whether, under CRE 608(b) and the federal state constitutional

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

In re the Parental Responsibilities of

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. EN BANC.

JUSTICE MARTINEZ would grant as to the following issues:

Whether the court of appeals erred in this highly publicized

Whether, in deciding whether no reasonable possibility exists that a

Petition for Writ of Certiorari GRANTED. EN BANC.

Whether the court of appeals erred by holding that the process of

Whether the Colorado Court of Appeals impermissibly shifted the burden